The Rev. Madet Merove, founder of Haitian Community Solidarity and Support and pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Springfield, will present “An Update on the Haitian Community in Springfield” Thursday, Nov. 20, as part of the Senior Center’s monthly “Village Voices” series. (Submitted photo)
Rev. Merove to come to Yellow Springs Center
- Published: November 19, 2025
When the Rev. Madet Merove arrived in Springfield about three years ago, he stepped into a community that was changing quickly. Immigrant families from Haiti and elsewhere were settling into Clark County, often with few resources.
At Covenant United Methodist Church, where Merove now serves as pastor, he found a building with room to spare and a congregation eager to help.
From that mix of need and opportunity has grown a ministry that keeps expanding its reach. Merove will share aspects of that work, and answer questions about the needs of Haitians and the wider community, on Thursday, Nov. 20, 7–9 p.m., at the YS Senior Center. His talk, “An Update on the Haitian Community in Springfield,” is part of the center’s “Village Voices” series.
Merove told the News last week that he sees the invitation from the Senior Center as a chance to connect with people who want to understand the unfolding story of immigration in the region.
“I really welcome heartily this opportunity to share with your community,” he said.
Merove, who is himself from Haiti, said he understands the hurdles immigrants face learning American systems, finding work and connecting with the wider community. To help meet those needs, he founded Haitian Community Solidarity and Support, or HCSS, last year. The nonprofit’s mission has, thus far, centered around direct support, providing food and aid with rent and other bills.
The needs, Merove added, are significant, even as resources sometimes run dry.
“Our funds have run out — but we look forward to receiving more money to continue helping the community,” he said.
In addition to assistance with food and bills, HCSS aims to offer driving lessons, as Merove said community members communicated a need to understand traffic laws and driving culture. Also offered will be English classes, as many employers, Merove said, expect applicants to speak English at a level that is out of reach for many new arrivals.
Inside Covenant United Methodist Church, Merove said his congregation’s ministry has formed around the understanding that service should be a part of faith, and that faith and community life are inseparable.
“It is a package together,” he said. “It’s a holistic approach to ministry we are developing in the community.”
By way of example, Merove said a youth group meets for spiritual communion and mentorship, but the group leaders also teach music. Young people have already learned percussion and recently played during worship. Merove said local organizations have invited the group to perform during Kwanzaa and other events. The church also recently launched a ministry for single mothers, open to anyone in need, with groups meeting in a mix of languages to share culture and skills.
Covenant also offers its physical space for a Haitian Creole–language service led by another pastor. The two congregations share the building, but worship separately in the morning. That, Merove said, is part of ministry, too.
“Part of their struggle is that they could not find money to continue paying for a building,” Merove said.
Covenant runs a food pantry and organizes “Dinner Box,” a ministry that provides hot meals for people in need. The congregation is currently preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for community members in need. Like many food pantries and meal programs, Covenant is experiencing increasingly high need, which Merove said sometimes means empty shelves, but he said Springfield residents have been “very generous.”
“Sometimes generosity does not mean money alone, but the love, the appreciation, the understanding, the spirit of integration and acceptance — that costs a lot,” he said.
Merove quoted John Wesley — founder of the Methodist Church — who taught that wealth and resources should be used for the good of others. The principle, he said, guides the work of both HCSS and Covenant United Methodist Church.
“‘Earn all that you can, save all that you can and give all that you can,’” Merove said. “This Wesley said not for his own personal gain, but for transformation through social work of the community, and for the transformation of the world through Jesus Christ.”
He noted that both the church and HCSS have worked in coalition with other organizations, including an area association of pastors, to keep people connected to sources of aid when one well runs dry, for the moment, another stands filled and ready, he said.
“If I have no money, I will direct you to another place and what they can offer,” Merove said. “I think working together is the best idea — to rely on each other and meet the needs of the community. And I’m not focusing only on the Haitian community, but on other immigrants as well as locals, because we all stand in need.”
He pointed to the Haitian flag: a coat of arms on a field of red and blue, and the words, “L’Union Fait la Force.”
“’Unity is Strength,’” he said, translating. “That is our motto in Haiti.”
The Rev. Madet Merove will present “An Update on the Haitian Community in Springfield” as part of the Senior Center’s “Village Voices” series Thursday, Nov. 20, 7–9 p.m., in the Great Room. All are welcome to attend. The talk will also be available on Zoom. To get the Zoom link, register at http://www.MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751 or email info@ysseniors.org.
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