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He was a husband, father, pastor, leader, son, brother, and a mentor. Rev. Gercey St. Louis went home to His Father on November 20, 2008 at 9:00 A. M. This is his biography. HIS BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

Pasteur Gercey St Louis was born in Gonâve, more precisely in a small town known under the name of “Large Mangroves.” He is the legitimate son of Mr. Celius St Louis and Mrs. Tissor St Louis. Mr. Celius St Louis, the father of late originated in Leogane, but the circumstances of his life led him to Gonâve and he passed all the remainder of his life with the members of his family. Pasteur Gercey St Louis was the one of five children including three boys and two girls. He was only eight years old when one announced to him the sad news of the death of his mother and of his/her young sister, who perished on the open sea when the boat at the edge of which they travelled had shipwrecked. Their bodies never were found. After having lost one of the dearest beings of his life, Pasteur Gercey St Louis had to learn very early the rudiments from breeding and of agriculture in order to provide to the needs and of his family. Pasteur Gercey St Louis made his primary studies at the Baptist school of Large-Mangroves. God had for him a plan who’s unfolding started as of its more tender childhood. But, he did not know it yet. The rather difficult circumstances in which he grew did not enable him to continue his studies beyond the primary education level. Since his father was a workman of the Lord and a farmer of reputation, Gercey St Louis passed a good part of his adolescence to help his father in the ministerial agriculture and work. It goes without saying that the call of the Lord in his life began this time, but it had not seized it yet.

HIS YOUTH

The burning desire to help others and to obtain a certain financial stability, Gercey St Louis devoted himself to the trade. In 1960, he united the body of the volunteers of the national security commonly called the “tontons macoutes.” With the dire of much, the passage of Brother Gercey in this body was a blessing since it defended the right of weakest and fought with many forces and energies all kinds of injustices. Brother Gercey St Louis made use of his authority in this body to fight against all kinds of illegal arrests, abuse of power, and useless or abusive mutilations. He did not hesitate to go even to the national palace, when it was needed, to obtain the release of certain people imprisoned wrongfully or the transfer of a macoute chief who sowed the fear and terror in an unspecified locality. At the same time, Brother Gercey St Louis was going to have much success in the trade of coal, of the sisal (“pita”), of the agricultural food products and the cross-pieces out of wooden, used generally in the field of construction. He facilitated the transport of these goods of Gonâve in Port-au- Prince, and then he delivered them in other areas of the country. After a few happy new years of success in the trade, he lost all of it in a shipwreck.

HIS CALL TO THE MINISTRY

As wire of a very influential deacon of Large-Mangroves and having grown in a Christian family, he had in front of him, as of his childhood, of good model to be followed. He accepted a baptism in 1956 with the Church of Nazarene of Large-Mangroves under the direction of Pasteur Justin Deriviers. In spite of religious environment and the Christian environment in which it has evolved, Brother Gercey recognized that his true conversion took place at the dawn of the seventies and involved its satisfying with the terrestrial goods pile up in its business enterprises. He devoted himself then to the work of the Lord by teaching Sunday school to the Church which his younger brother directed, Pasteur Nelvil St Louis, and the church of Nazarene of Large-Mangroves. He also became a member of the choral society and the committee of the Church. Seeing the spiritual talents and gifts that Brother Gercey had, Pasteur Nelvil sent to him with the Church Nazarene de Debaleine Southern as preacher. A few years later, the zeal, the ardour and the dynamism of the Brother Gercey contributed to the growth and the development of the Church of Nazarene of Large-Mangroves and the various station-churches for which he was responsible. The Christian community of Large-Mangroves strengthens itself from day to day and the preaching of the Gospel in the zone was going to make considerable great strides thanks to the ministry for the two brothers. They first helped with the construction of a hospital in the locality to take the first medical care to people of the community and contributed his share to the construction of certain traditional schools in the community in order to help the population to receive an adequate education without neglecting the preaching of the Gospel.

After many progress made by the ministry for Brother Gercey to Large-Mangroves, Southern Debaleine had and in the neighboring districts, Pastor Nelvil encouraged his brother to launch out full-time in the ministry. He took counsel to the request and decided to go to the Bible school to receive the formation necessary being able to help him to achieve well his position of ministry for God. In spite of the encountered difficulties, he spent four years to the known biblical school under the name of “Gate vault of the brothers of Pétion-City” and he graduated and devoted to the pastorate in 1979.

HIS MINISTRY WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONFIRMATION OF ITS CALL TO THE HEAD of A CHURCH

Everyone thought that at 41 years of age, Pastor Gercey would not have children. But, in 1978 he was father his oldest son, Bob St Louis in Port-au-Prince, in Haiti and emigrated in the United States in 1982 and married his beloved wife, Leone St Louis. From this union were born (8) children: Marie-Guerlyne St Louis, born in Miami; Julia St Louis, born has West Palm Beach; Pierre-Daniel St Louis, born in West Palm Beach; Rebecca St Louis, born in Orlando; Luther Gercey St Louis, also born in Orlando; Deborah St Louis, born in Orlando; Joseph St Louis, also born in Orlando; Marie-Daniel St Louis, born in Tampa. The call of Pasteur Gercey St Louis as a chief of a church truly started in Orlando in 1989. He co-founded with Pasteur Jean F Marcelin the 2nd Church of Nazarene d' Orlando which, today, accounts more than 400 members. According to the remarks of Pasteur Marcellin, “Pasteur Gercey was a good adviser and an excellent collaborator.” From 1989 to 1992, Pasteur Gercey, beside Pasteur Marcellin, contributed an appreciable share in order to help the new church to take his cruising speed. He inaugurated a service of Young person and prayer, very useful elements in the growth of any church. One day Pasteur Gercey heard, in a dream, a voice which said to him, “Promised land, Tampa.” As requested he was convinced that God had something for him in Tampa, a city located a few kilometers from Orlando.

In 1992, he visited a church in Tampa which had approximately 80 members. Likely coincidence, the church had a great need for Pasteur. Admiring the preaching and the testimony of Pasteur Gercey St Louis, the committee called upon him to become their Pasteur. Pasteur Gercey did not accept the offer immediately. He consulted his colleague, Pasteur Marcellin who pointed out the message to him that he had received in his dream, “Promised land, Tampa.” After hours of prayer and a young person, he accepted what was quoted to him. A few months later, Pasteur Gercey St Louis left to go settle in Tampa and to serve the new Church for which had occurred two years earlier. The things did not go as it was forecasted for him in Tampa; it was in hillocks with many difficulties and persecutions which generally accompanied the ministry of any Pasteur devoted to the service God. Not having yet their own place, the SILOE church, which had assembled and living room of Mrs. Elie Duracin and the late Mr. Elie Duracin, living room of Duracins moved another place located at the 12th Ave. The members of the church met in this place during two years, then the church took rise numerically and the need to find another room was needed. The Lord led the young church to another room on Hanna Ave and they were lodged by an American church, “Idlewild.” Two years later, they had to move once again; thus they were going to be found in a room locates between the street 22e and Hillsborough ave. Six months later, God allowed them to buy their own temple on Genesee street. The members of the church met in this temple from then until now. Under the administration of Pasteur Gercey St Louis, the church completely paid the mortgage which he had authorized on the building. The assistance of the church passed from 80 to more than 300 members. He devoted several of the members of the church to the deacon and the pastorate. He had the advertisement of the good news of the Gospel to hundreds of Haitians in Tampa, top of its flesh and through the radio. In spite of the many encountered difficulties, the Lord made use of his servant and his collaborators, to cause the growth and the development of the church Baptist SILOE.

HE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, HE HAS COMPLETED THE RACE”

Pasteur Gercey St Louis was a large combatant of the faith. He loved his wife and his children like the pupil of his eyes. He loved very much the faithful ones of his church and all the members of his family. Over all, he loved his God. He was moved by compassion for those which suffered, exerted his ministry with many passions, and was a man of prayer. He had offered himself like a sacrifice alive, holy and pleasant God with the service of the churches of which he had served, but especially with the Baptist church of SILOE. On November 20, 2008, following a series of diseases which corroded the health of this servant for years, Pasteur Gercey St Louis returned to St Joseph Hospital in Tampa. We are assured that this servant did not die, but he rests in peace to await the great resurrection and the return of Jesus. God called him home at 71 years age. The life of this servant with filled with joys and pains, combat and victories, vexation and extase. We will always have the beautiful memory of his “I love you my child”, his “Let’s go pray together”, his words of wisdom, encouragement and affection. Pasteur Gercey St Louis fought the good fight, and he has completed the race, and from now on the crown of life is reserved to him.