Latin America: Dominican Republic

Mission History

Christian Reformed World Missions began work in the Dominican Republic in the late 1970s through contacts made with the Back to God Hour. Initial visits to the field were made by CRWM missionaries from Puerto Rico. These first missionary visitors found groups which had already identified themselves as Christian Reformed. The first resident missionaries, Ray and Gladys Brinks and Neal and Sandy Hegeman, came in 1981. God used them and those who followed to start a national denomination, La Iglesia Cristiana Reformada de la Republica Dominicana (ICRRD-Christian Reformed Church of the Dominican Republic). Shortly after the organization of the first church groups, a Christian School program was also begun. Seeking to provide Christian education in areas where no education was available, missionaries partnered with local pastors and teachers in the establishment of COCREF, Colegios Cristianos Reformados (Christian Reformed Schools). Our work in the area of Christian education has also led us to play a formative role in the development of an Evangelical University here in the DR, which is the co-operative effort of several evangelical denominations.

The Christian Reformed Church of the DR is about 90 percent Haitian, made up of Haitians who cross the border to cut sugar cane or to work in construction in the DR. The first years of CRWM's work in the DR were characterized by rapid growth across the country. In the succeeding years the mission's efforts have been directed toward education and preparation for autonomy from CRWM. The Christian school program has also experienced rapid growth and continues its work in an increasingly autonomous fashion.

Culture

In 1492 Columbus landed on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, now divided into two nations–Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of this mountainous, tropical island, covering an area about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont. Santo Domingo, founded in 1502, was the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

The majority of people in Haiti and the DR are Catholic, but the similarity between the two groups ends there. The Dominicans speak Spanish, while the Haitians speak French and their own national language, Creole. And their styles of worship are as different as their ethnic origins. Because of this the ICRRD has remained largely Haitian. Like all immigrant churches, the Haitian ICRRD will need several generations to fully integrate with the Dominican environment. In the meantime, the ICRRD provides a spiritual home and haven for a people who are oppressed in every other area of their lives.

Mission Vision

From the very beginning of CRWM's involvement in the Dominican Republic, we have sought to build a wholistic ministry, a ministry that reflects the breadth of God's Kingdom. Today, working along side of the national church, our partner organizations and CRWRC, we seek to pass along that vision. It is our prayer that the church and the organizations which we've worked with over the last 20 years will both call this country to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and work side by side with their fellow Dominicans toward the resolution of the difficult problems that face this country.

Results

The numerical results of the work in the DR have always been easy to observe. Beginning with a couple of small groups 20 years ago, the ICRRD quickly expanded to a denomination of around 200 small congregations. The most recent statistics show that these congregations include just under 10,000 people. The greatest growth in recent years has been in the areas of depth and maturity. The Christian school program has also grown and developed in exciting ways. Today it employs close to 100 national teachers, working in 21 Christian schools with a total student population of about 3,000. CRC teachers also play a vital role in the educational ministry of Santiago Christian School. Please pray with us that as Christian Reformed World Missions seeks to reduce her role in the ongoing development of the church and her programs, that God's Spirit will lead and provide for the church in ways that we could never imagine. Thanks for your prayers!

Support

The most important gift you can give missionaries is a daily prayer for their lives and work. At any given time Christian Reformed World Missions supports about 300 long-term and short-term missionaries and about 200 missionary children located in over 30 countries around the world. These people have been called, commissioned, and sent by Christian Reformed churches to represent our devotion to Jesus Christ, and to urge others to accept His offer of salvation.

Here’s a partial list of items to pray for on behalf of missionaries:

• emotional needs
• physical needs
• relationships with other missionaries
• relationships with nationals
• relationship with God
• effective ministry
• family life

Financial support is also crucial for the ongoing work of bringing the Good News around the world. Support can be given for specific missionaries, or specific projects can be found in the “Project Giving Guide” at your church or available from the World Missions offices in either the United States or Canada.

The Christian Reformed World Missions Team in the Dominican Republic:

Steve and Sandra Brauning (Rebecca, Hannah, Mark), Leadership Trainer/Church Developer
Darcy Miedema, Partner teacher, Santiago Christian School
Duane and Shelley Postma, Volunteers
Josh Miller, Partner teacher, Santiago Christian School
Joel and Alison Renkema, Church Education Consultant/Theological Educator
Brian and Amy Hackert, Partner teacher, Santiago Christian School

More Resources:

Videos
Video-1998 Island of Hope: The Christian Reformed Schools of the Dominican Republic (12 min.)
DVD-2005 The Spark That Inflames: Covenanting with Christ in the Dominican Republic (10 min.)
Video-1998 Sugar Cane Island(22 min.)
Video Cane Fire(28 min.)

Proclaim: February-March 2001
• Download the Word Document (13pg, 52k)
• Download the PDF (17pg, 224k)