ABOUT US

La Mission Inc.

Evangelizing the World with the Bible

About Us

Doctrinal Statement

I: We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.

(Deut. 6:4; Mat. 3:13-17; 28:19: II Cor. 13:14)

II: We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, wholly inerrant in the original writing, infallible and God breathed, the final authority for faith and practice.

(II Tim. 3:16,17; Matt. 5:18; II Peter 1:20,21; John 16:12,13)

III: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Matt. 1:18-20; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,2,14) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice in providing an atonement for the sins of all those the Father gave to the Son (John 6:37-39; 10:1-16; 17:6-12,20,21,25,26); and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Rom. 3:24,25; I Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9,10; Heb. 9:24; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1,2)

IV: We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved in that every part of his being has been affected by sin. He is unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26,27; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:22,23; 5:12) We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-12; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18,19) The Christian has two natures, one carnal and one spiritual, which become a source of spiritual conflict. (Rom. 8:1-13; I Cor. 2:15- 3:4) While his position is perfect in Christ, the believer’s present condition is no more perfect than his daily experience. He is called-upon to live a separated life and can have a spiritually mature experience in which he will evidence the fruits of righteousness through the new nature, the Holy Spirit’s control and the assimilation of God’s Word. (2 Cor. 7:1; John 17:14,16; Gal. 5:16- 25; Eph. 4:22-32; 5:17-21) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38,39; I Peter 1:5) We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.

(Romans 13:13,14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

V: We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12,13; II Cor. 11:2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has left two ordinances to be observed by the local church in commemoration of His person and work. The one is that of baptism (immersion) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The other is the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

(Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,46,47; 16:33; I Cor. 11:23,32)

No person is qualified to have part in either of these two ordinances unless he has been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, a member of the Body of Christ.

VI: We believe that God gives spiritual enabling gifts for service to all believers. (Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:11-16) We believe that the apostolic age of signs and the gifts of healing and tongues ceased with the ministry of the apostles chosen personally by Christ and with the completion of the written Word of God. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism nor the filling of the Spirit. The gifts which remain are sufficient for the ministry and the perfecting of the Church today. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayers of the faithful, according to His will for the sick and the afflicted.

(James 5:14,15)

VII: We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scriptures, to make disciples by proclaiming the Gospel to all mankind.

(Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:19, 20)

VIII: We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.

(Matt. 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Rev. 20:5,6,13)

IX: We believe, according to Scripture, in the pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ; that this second coming will be a literal, bodily, personal appearance to the earth; that His coming for His Bride, the Church, precedes the Tribulation and constitutes the “Blessed Hope” set before us, for which we should be constantly looking.

(Matt. 24:27,30,44; John 14:1-3; I Thes. 1:10; 4:13-17; Titus 2:13; Rev. 19:11-19)

History of La Mission, Inc.

La Mission was organized in March 1996 by a Board of convicted, local church-going believers. The actual beginning of the mission was the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. Reverend Robert Earl Swann and his Haitian wife, Silvane Etienne Swann, made trips to Haiti to visit her family. Rev. Swann became interested in church planting near the city of Gonaives. As a result of their many visits, churches were started in La Croix, Dolan, Bretagne and other local towns near Gonaives.

The Swann’s spent two years raising funds through a local bible-believing church they attended. The administrator of their church suggested they start a mission board for future fund-raising for the mission projects. This was the first time that God suggested a mission society to be founded.

The second time God suggested a mission society to be founded was when Rev. Swann and his wife visited his 4^th grade teacher, Margaret Rose, in WV, before their visit to Haiti in September 1995. After sharing their desire to do work for God in Haiti, Mrs. Rose suggested they start a mission board.

Land was first purchased in Bretagne to begin a church under Pierre Gerard Jean Baptiste, a national pastor. The Bretagne church began September 15, 1995. When the notary asked what the name of ‘the mission’ was, which is ‘la mission’ in French, the name “La Mission, Inc.” was chosen. This was the third time that God suggested a mission society to be founded.

The original board members were: Rev. Robert Earl Swann, Silvane Etienne Swann, Rev. Richard W. Carr, David Durden and Lt. Col. John W. Monsur.

The original officers were: Rev. Robert Earl Swann, President-General Director-Director; Rev. Richard W. Carr, Vice President-Director; Silvane Etienne Swann, Missionary Secretary-Director; Denella Kerstetter, Secretary; Denney George, Treasurer.

Present board members and officers as of 2007 are: Rev. Robert Earl Swann, President- General Director-Director; Pastor Larry Zimmerman, Vice President-Director; Kenneth Johnsen, Treasurer-Director; James Mahoney, Secretary-Director; Silvane E. Swann, Field Secretary- Director; and Joseph Swann, Director.

La Mission’s desire is to serve Bible-believing churches as an agency through which they may send out missionaries to teach, exercise their spiritual gifts, organize indigenous, evangelistic bible-believing churches on the mission fields at home and abroad. Since the founding members of the first La Mission Board were united in this purpose, continuity of follow-on Board personnel to continue that purpose will help to preserve it.

We feel that our association should exist primarily for the purpose of reaching the lost and bringing churches together for common expression, correct Bible preaching and teaching, and to state to the world their common conviction.

We regard La Mission as being church-related because the Constitution provides that, “persons elected to serve as Directors and as Officers should be regenerated believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who maintain a life of consistent separation unto God. Further, they should be active members of Bible-believing churches, practicing tithing, and should hold such convictions as expressed in the Mission manual.”

In view of this, we appeal to all Bible-believing churches and individuals to share their friendship, pray for us, and consider sharing with us the financial support to carry out the Great Commission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20