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Baptist Leaders Appeal to Obama for Help with Haiti Arrests
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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| Women, who are U.S. citizens arrested for their involvement in a suspected illegal adoption scheme, talk to a journalist at a holding cell at the judicial police station in Port-au-Prince February 1, 2010.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Officials at the Southern Baptist Convention have appealed to President Barack Obama to help get medical treatment and spiritual counseling for 10 Baptists arrested in Haiti.
A letter to Obama from three top SBC leaders, including Dr. Morris Chapman, Dr. Johnny Hunt and Dr. Frank Page, on Friday asks for the president to "arrange for a representative from their churches or from the Southern Baptist Convention, or both, to visit them in Haiti as soon as possible."
The group, comprised mostly of Southern Baptists, was arrested on Jan. 29 while trying to take 33 children out of Haiti. Even so, Vice President of Convention Relations Roger Oldham said there is concern the faith's long history of relief efforts could be tainted in some people's minds.
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote a separate letter to President Obama citing the Haitian government's behavior as "outrageous". Land went on to say that, "The Haitian government is receiving massive assistance from the United States, from both public and private sources," Land the president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote to Obama. "Our nation's churches are giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief efforts for the people of Haiti. These fine Christian men and women sought to do even more to help alleviate the suffering of some Haitian children. For the Haitian government to respond in this way to the obvious good intentions of these honorable Christians is outrageous.
"We ask that you do everything in your considerable power to secure the release of these United States citizens. Please know that we are available in any way you might deem appropriate to assist in the immediate release of these men and women and their safe return to the United States."
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