http://www.faithconversations.com/index.htmlHot News!enuser@domain.comCopyright 2011 Timothy Heck2011-03-06T09:40:16-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:33:23 -0500user@domain.comNone2011-03-06T09:40:16-05:00http://www.faithconversations.com/blog/files/93b015051731ab196a5267fd9f3e2ee5-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.faithconversations.com/blog/files/93b015051731ab196a5267fd9f3e2ee5-0.html#unique-entry-id-0
About a year ago, Gary Rowe, my longtime friend and colleague from college days and Associate Pastor at East 91st Street Christian Church, called me and asked if I would be willing to accompany him to Haiti to work with a mission group that was struggling after the earthquake. It took only 30-seconds to respond affirmatively and we were on a plane within two weeks to meet Danny and Leann Pye, as well as the others in their ministry, a ministry Danny founded through his efforts in Haiti since 2003. We found all the missionaries a delight and yet all were hurting in so many ways. At the same time, there was tension among the group and conflict mounting with the supporters back in the States, the extent of which we knew little about. A second trip to Haiti with Gary to work with the team took place a couple months later. Then we were pleased to open our home to the Pyes and another leadership couple from the organization. It was while Danny was with us for a follow-up visit to work on his own concerns and needs that the ministry itself suffered a virtual earthquake from which it has never recovered.

From that sad, unfortunate, and unnecessary turn of events and choice of decisions by the others in leadership of their organization, Danny and Leann were demoted, removed from leadership, and soon thereafter eliminated from the ministry he had founded. As with any such turmoil, there are two sides to the story. Those who chose to remove the ministry’s founder and leader levied accusations of misappropriation of funds, reckless decision-making, deception and selfish ambitions. My own assessment, having been apprised of the facts and the history is that Danny is a passionate dreamer with more energy than organization, more active than communicative, and more scattered than focused. His actions were those that are typical of any leader who finds him/herself in a position needing to make hard decisions in the moment, driven and motivated by a compassionate love for the hurting, with a growing organization that didn’t have the systems in place for effective support and accountability. He has acknowledged that some of his actions could have been more thought out, his decisions shared by others, and his focus more empowered by the goals of others in leadership. But, please hear me on this, Danny Pye has done nothing that warranted his removal from a leadership role and being eliminated from participation in the organization and ministry he founded and most assuredly has done nothing deserving of imprisonment. The response to any apparent failure or poor judgment on Danny’s part has been disproportionate, unethical, and altogether wrong. This is my personal opinion that others might challenge, but I firmly hold. In future days, weeks, and months, it is likely that more facts of the history will emerge. That is not for me to determine, though I hope they might. As they do, I pray for a spirit of openness, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

And what is my reason for saying all this? Well, let me give you a few:

• We are all broken, flawed and in need of grace. Mercy should rise to the top in our efforts to respond to that brokenness.
• The needs of the poor and suffering in Haiti outweigh the controversy and conflict.
• God has called me, and I think all of us, to be ministers of grace and healing.

Selah (Hebrew for “Think about it...”)
Tim Heck
Recovering Sinner
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