WHEREAS,
This year, the First Haitian Church of God of Philadelphia is celebrating 40 years of existence, hard work, dedication, and leadership within the Haitian Community; and
WHEREAS, Their Senior Pastor, Ruth Vincent-Washington, the daughter of founders, Bishop Jean E. Vincent, and Reverend Marie Y. Vincent, is reviving and leading the Church to a new level by creating outreach programs for engaging the youth and the Haitian Community; and
WHEREAS,
The First Haitian Church of God of Philadelphia was founded in the late 1970’s by Bishop Jean E. Vincent and Reverend Marie Y. Vincent. Walking in faith, they picked up their five children and moved to Philadelphia, PA from Queens, NY; and
WHEREAS, At the time of their arrival in Philadelphia, the Haitian Community was small and disconnected. Today, they are spread throughout the City of Philadelphia, North, South, East, and West. Bishop Vincent and Reverend Marie Y Vincent worked tirelessly as they evangelized all over Philadelphia to fulfill the task they had before them, as a result, many other churches were founded under their leadership
; and
WHEREAS,
In 2016, the mantle was passed to Pastor Ruth. She is now the Senior Pastor of the First Haitian Church of God of Philadelphia. Pastor Ruth is a strong woman of God who works tirelessly to be there for her members and the community. She stood strong after the tragic death of her parents in a car accident, when most of the congregation left the Church because they believed that a young female pastor could not lead; and
WHEREAS, Under Pastor Ruth's leadership, the Church has created many programs to reach out into the community to serve and engage by providing different services such as, health fairs, career fairs, and partnerships with different organizations; and
WHEREAS, The Church hosts information sessions about TPS, Obama Care enrollment, Immigration law, and voting rights. They also host an annual block party, "Restoration of The Block" where they partner with local businesses to provide back to school supplies to the local children in the area, and health screening to all who attend. Additionally, they host the regional Church of God Convention every year, where many churches come to the City of Philadelphia to participate
; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, D
oes hereby honor
the First Haitian Church of God of Philadelphia on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary Celebration.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to First Haitian Church of God of Philadelphia as a sincere expression of Philadelphia City Council’s gratitude and admiration.
End