Louisville—Baptist Haiti Mission, a historically independent Baptist outreach, has transitioned fully into the Southern Baptist Convention as a subsidiary of Kentucky-based Crossings Ministries.

“This is an exciting move because it will strengthen BHM, a vital ministry to a very poor island country,” Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director Paul Chitwood said. “It’s especially exciting for Kentucky Baptists who have long been supportive of BHM and who have been participants in mission trips to Haiti with Crossings.”

Crossings President and Chief Executive Officer David Melber said his organization has been working with BHM since 2011. That’s when Crossings started a youth camp in Haiti. It was an instant success.

BHM, founded by Wallace and Eleanor Turnbull, has started more than 360 churches in Haiti, 355 schools with 68,000 students, a hospital, self-help ministry, master’s program, trade school, youth camps and various other endeavors.

The BHM board of directors, of which Melber is a member, decided to take the ministry “in a new and exciting direction with SBC involvement.”

“When the old BHM board sensed that turning it over to a new entity was the best plan, we wanted BHM to be its own 501c3 corporation, but to have a tie to SBC identity,” Melber said. “We created a new corporation in Kentucky, and the old Michigan corporation was merged into that.”

About 900 people have done short-term missions to Haiti through BHM. Approximately 150 more will go this summer.

“Haiti has largely been rebuilt since the earthquake,” Melber said. “The greatest need now is for solid Bible-believing and Bible-teaching pastors to lead churches to do the same.”

BHM’s transition means Crossings will expand its oversight to a variety of gospel initiatives in Haiti, while also developing additional youth camps there.

“Basically, all will be focused on the ultimate goal of seeing effective churches, pastored by theologically sound pastors, that all combined together are focused on proclaiming the gospel, making disciples and reaching the whole nation,” Melber said. (KBC)