Etienne Prophete, 81, who co-founded Haitian Christian Mission in 1974 with his wife, Betty, died Friday, Feb. 5. Over the years, the mission has started nearly 60 churches totaling more than 10,000 members. Many of the churches also have schools that serve a total of more than 13,000 children daily.
Prophete was a 1974 graduate of Ozark Christian College, which awarded him with the Seth Wilson Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2006.
“Since he came to Ozark and returned to his native land, no missionary leader has cast a longer shadow of Christ-honoring influence in Haiti,” said former OCC president Ken Idleman.
Veteran Christian minister John Caldwell, who attended college with Prophete, called him “a wonderful man of God.” Current OCC president Matt Proctor said, “Etienne was one of my kingdom heroes.”
On the history page at HCM’s website, Prophete wrote: “We presented our plan for the mission in Haiti before the elders of Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, at our ordination in 1974. We were dreaming, but God was serious. Today we are astonished at what God is doing!”
In addition to churches and schools, HCM also established a small hospital and a school of translation and interpretation.
“We are forever grateful for his vision that has made HCM what it is today,” Haitian Christian Mission wrote on the ministry’s Facebook page. “We pray we can carry out his vision like he would want.”
A memorial will be held at 10 a.m. this Saturday at Haitian Christian Church of Palm Beach, Fla. It will be open to the public, with COVID-19 protocols in place. Learn more online.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Haitian Christian Mission; those monies will be used toward projects funded through the Etienne and Betty Prophete Evangelism Endowment.
What a worker for the Lord! It was my pleasure to know Brother Etienne since college days and to hear reports through the years of Haitian Christian Mission’s advances, taking back territory for the Lord in such a needy land!
Etienne Prophete was a gracious, intelligent, hard-working servant of our Lord. He and I were in the same graduating class from Ozark. Susan and I count it a privilege to have been guests in their home in Haiti in the early 1990s.
I loved his desire to see Bible-based books in French produced for the church leaders of Haiti and other francophone countries. He was the translator or proofreader of more than 10 books in the French language which Literature And Teaching Ministries published over the past 25 years, including If You Want to Preach by Don DeWelt, How to Be an Effective Church Leader by Sam Stone, and most recently, The Faith Once for All, by Jack Cottrell. This last one was translated by his French Translation student, Nathan Gué, with Etienne serving as the proofreader. He was on the final chapter when he was called home to be with the Lord. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Among Etienne’s many deeds following him will be these books in French which will live on to bless many over the years to come.
May our Lord give comfort and strength to Betty, the rest of their family, and all the thousands whose lives he touched.
We were blessed to meet Etienne in 1994 and have him stay in our home on several occasions when he attended Rising Sun Church of Christ’s annual Mission Emphasis weekends.
We would also greet him at the National Missionary conventions and stay in touch through scholar sponsorships.
He never forgot a name, and his smile would light up a room.
His testimony was powerful.
His love for the LORD and concern for souls was palpable.
We are sad yet know Etienne has his reward with the LORD.
May his family and friends find comfort in this fact.