Alas, things are more complicated. If one reads the chain of emails from the bottom up, one follows the correspondence between the missionaries in Dominica and myself. I do not want to fault the missionaries -- it is easy to take shots at people who have much at stake in their own work to try to advocate for one's cause. What is fascinating to me is that because the church operates through the categories of the liberal nation-state (even in a poor, third-world seting), these people are seen literally not to exist. Their bodies are a lie because they are not enfranchised human beings. The categories of the state define the categories of the church. As Bill Cavanaugh says, the church gets the souls; the state the bodies. Since the state says that there are no bodies, then the church cannot share goods with those bodies that the state says do not exist.

Of course, the irony is that the Dominica state talks directly with us to try to use us to remove the bodies of our friends from Dominica to the US. The problem is that the US doesn't want to recognize that these bodies exist in need. Finally, while we can be disappointed at the church and must pray for her, the church is not the problem here, but the imaginary formation of nation-states that patrol and control the world today.

Pray for our friends in Dominica, forgotten and denied by the powers that control movement within the Western Hemisphere of the world.

Here is the chain of correspondence in inverse chronological order from when they were sent:

Dear Rev. Brewer:

Thank you for your note. Of course, I receive it with great sorrow, for our friends whom we have yet to meet, ourselves, and the work in Dominica.

I thought that the Church of the Nazarene is one church throughout the world, and therefore, that we would be able to cooperate in fulfilling the commands of Christ to care for the needs of the saints and show hospitality to strangers. I was not aware that national laws had a priority over the Scriptural teachings and our unity as the Church; indeed, I am shaken a bit that we are limited in fulfilling our membership vows as expressed in the General Rules mandated by the Manual -- to provide food and care as opportunity provides.

I recognize that those with whom you have consulted have put you in a difficult position, and for this I apologize. It certainly was not our intention. Yet there seems something rather large at stake here. It seems to me that when we separate "spiritual work" from bodily presence, then we have denied the incarnation, and opened the church to being co-opted by many hostile powers. If you could give me contact information for those who so advised you, I would like to contact them directly.

I am amazed at the graciousness of our Haitian brothers who have suffered much already.

Thank you again for your help and assistance. I do understand the difficulty that we've put you in within a context that is in many way much more complex that our position in the United States. We encounter similar issues with our local governments in feeding the hungry here.

Peace,
Rev. John Wright
Senior Pastor, English Speaking Congregation
Church of the Nazarene in Mid-City, San Diego, CA

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From: Dan Brewer [mailto:dancarolyn40@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:11 AM
To: John Wright
Subject: RE: Haitians in Dominica

Greetings John Wright,

Since you replied I have talked with the two Haitians. Also, the General Church has told me the mission policy. Then, we have learned that the Government of Dominica does not allow exiles and we have been advised to not be involved with them. It gets touchy, I know. After talking this over with the Haitians and receiving Church Mission Policy and the word from the Government, with the Haitians we have decided that they and you should look for some other contact with them. They understood and said they would write you. I told them I would write this to you also. Sorry. It is a sticky problem they are in, we know.

They will give you some other suggestions.

Sincerely,

Dan Brewer
Bataca
Dominica

John Wright wrote:
Hello Dan!

Yes, these two are connected with us. I'm a professor at PLNU, and the senior pastor of the CoN in Mid-City, an urban church with connections to the university. I also grew up in Bob Gray's church at Dayton Parkview, with Jerry Duff as my youth director. So I feel like a have a few connections.

Brutus is the relative of the French Speaking speaking pastor. I have never either one, but have been in long contact for the last year working with them. We would like to regularize communications, because we can get conflicting accounts at time.

We'd also like to be able to support our brothers there, but are afraid of sending things through the mail that might not make it to those intended. Could we set up a distribution system through you? Brian Becker within our congregation, has been the point person for us. I've copied him into this email.

I'm off to class, but would love to talk with you more about the situation.

Peace,
John Wright

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From: Dan Brewer [mailto:dancarolyn40@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 1:10 PM
To: John Wright
Subject: Haitians in Dominica

Greetings Mr. John Wright,

Greetings Pastor John Wright,

Carolyn and I are missionarys with the Church of the Nazarene in Dominica. We just had a visit from two men from Haiti seeking political asylum either in Dominica or another country. They say they are Nazarenes. There names are Brutus Rolin and Pasteur Etienne Remy (a Nazarene Pastor). They represent 15 male and female Haitians who have arrived in Dominica and are staying in Wesley on the other side of the airport--about 25 minutes from us. They gave us your name and e-mail. Do you know anything about them?

Did you meet them in Haiti? Or in the USA? What Haitian District are they from? Where did Pasteur Etienne Remy pastor?

They ask for me to go with them to the Dominica Government offices to help them. I can assure you that by World Mission Policy and because I made contact with the Caribbean Region that we are forbidden to Guarantee anyone before the government of the country we are in. So we were informed.

These men say that you, pastor John Wright, are communicating with them--possibly for going to the USA: Also, as we understand them, the co-pastor is Antony Duclos. They speak Haitian (French) and broken English (no Spanish) and we had a difficult time communicating.

Again I point out that Mission Policy from the Region and K.C. Headquarters is that no missionary can be a guarantee for any person.

Any suggestions you could give us as how to handle this visit and future requests from them would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dan Brewer
Bataca
Carib Territory
DOMINICA
West Indies
Tel. 767-445-8051