Evangelizing with the Bible
La Mission was organized in March 1993 by a Board of local church-going believers. The actual beginning of the mission was the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. Pastor Robert Earl Swann and his Haitian wife, Silvane Etienne Swann, made trips to Haiti to visit her family. Pastor Swann became interested in church planting near the city of Gonaives. As a result of their many visits, churches were started in La Croix, Dolan, Bretagne and other local towns near Gonaives.
The Swann’s spent two years raising funds through a local bible-believing church they attended. The administrator of their church suggested they start a mission board for future fund-raising for the mission projects. This was the first time that God suggested a mission society to be founded.
The second time God suggested a mission society to be founded was when Pastor Swann and his wife visited his 4th grade teacher, Margaret Rose, in WV, before their visit to Haiti in September 1990. After sharing their desire to do work for God in Haiti, Mrs. Rose suggested they start a mission board.
Land was first purchased in Bretagne to begin a church under Pierre Gerard Jean Baptiste, a national pastor. The Bretagne church began September 15, 1995. When the notary asked what the name of ‘the mission’ was, which is ‘la mission’ in French, the name “La Mission, Inc.” was chosen. This was the third time that God suggested a mission society to be founded.
The original board members were: Pastor Robert Earl Swann, Silvane Etienne Swann, Pastor Richard W. Carr, David Durden and Lt. Col. John W. Monsur.
The original officers were: Pastor Robert Earl Swann, President-General Director-Director; Pastor Richard W. Carr, Vice President-Director; Silvane Etienne Swann, Missionary Secretary-Director; Denella Kerstetter, Secretary; Denney George, Treasurer.
Present board members and officers as of 2018 are: Pastor Robert Earl Swann, President- General Director-Director; Andre Swann, Vice President-Director; Kenneth Johnsen, Treasurer-Director; Silvane E. Swann, Field Secretary- Director; Pastor Robert Dargie Jr., Director.
La Mission’s desire is to serve Bible-believing churches as an agency through which they may send out missionaries to teach, exercise their spiritual gifts, organize indigenous, evangelistic bible-believing churches on the mission fields at home and abroad. Since the founding members of the first La Mission Board were united in this purpose, continuity of follow-on Board personnel to continue that purpose will help to preserve it.
We feel that our association should exist primarily for the purpose of reaching the lost and bringing churches together for common expression, correct Bible preaching and teaching, and to state to the world their Biblical conviction.
We regard La Mission as being church-related because the Constitution provides that, “persons elected to serve as Directors and as Officers should be regenerated believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who maintain a life of consistent separation unto God. Further, they should be active members of Bible-believing churches, faithful financial givers, and should hold such convictions as expressed in the Mission manual.”
In view of this, we appeal to all Bible-believing churches and individuals to share their friendship, pray for us, and consider sharing with us the financial support to carry out the Great Commission.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20