I wanted to put up at least a brief post tonight about the other baptist missionaries who were also part of the child extraction effort, but not arrested as they were in the Dominican Republic working out the details of where to put the kids once they arrived on that side of the border.

There has been very little reporting on the fact that the team working on the child procurement mission was larger than the ten who were arrested.

See the following from this piece, Detained Americans questioned by Haitian judge, back on February 3rd (emphasis added is my own) that points out (at least) three more church members were also part of the effort:

Eastside members arrested include Pastor Paul Thompson, 43, his son Silas Thompson, 19, and Steve McMullen, 56. Church members Matt and Lora Crider and John Requa were also involved with the project, but remained in the Dominican Republic and were not arrested.

Baptists still jailed while nations debate their fate: Adoption advocates question New Life’s plan (Dated Feb 2.)  contains a few further details from the Crider’s daughter Kalee:

The accusations are hard for Twin Falls church members such as Kalee Crider to stomach.

“It’s just crazy,” said Crider, 24, describing her pastor, Paul Thompson, as a “huge advocate for adoption.”

Her parents, Matt and Lora Crider, were among the group, but left the U.S. a week later than most of the Baptists and are still in the Dominican Republic. Eastside member John Requa is also in the neighboring country and was not detained.

Kalee Crider has only heard occasionally from her parents, but said for the moment they’re staying in close contact with the U.S. Consulate, determining their next steps.

The Eastside Baptist Church website mentions members of the Crider family as well as John Requa had done short term mission trips through the church previously. See the Mission/Ministry Trips page.

If this retelling of their alleged trips is to be believed, the church had a history of sending missionaries into “closed” (to christian missionary activity) countries and violating local laws for mission trip purposes.

Return to the Table of Contents of my Haiti series.