Family on Mission

If you’ve gone on a mission trip in recent years, you’ve probably met Jean Marc Fontaine. You can’t miss his big smile and warm personality.

His passion for his faith, his family, and his country is contagious. He attended New Missions schools and now works full-time for our ministry in Haiti. And if you had been on a mission trip in the early days, you were probably picked up at the airport by Jean Marc’s father, Pastor Guy Fontaine.

This is a family on mission—grounded in the Gospel and discipling believers. They know first-hand the hope Haitians find in Jesus through the work of New Missions, as they’ve been with our ministry since the beginning.

Pastor Guy Fontaine was born in the town of Jeremie, in western Haiti. He moved to Port-au-Prince at the age of five. Before learning about New Missions, he was a factory supervisor in Port-au-Prince and attended Bible school. In 1984, a mutual friend introduced Pastor George DeTellis to Pastor Guy. Immediately, a God-ordained connection occurred. Pastor Guy began working for New Missions shortly afterwards. For years, he commuted from Port-au-Prince to the mission on the Leogane Plain. The journey was long and tiring. It meant many miles of walking, riding his bike, and taking a tap-tap. Faithfully, Pastor Guy commuted daily for several hours just one-way. But he was dedicated to the mission and ministry; he knew God was at work. New Missions co-founder, Jeanne DeTellis, shared it was a conversation her husband Pastor George had with Pastor Guy that encouraged him to move. “Pastor George was always so strong to say there is a difference between pastor present and pastor absent—and Pastor Guy was encouraged to make the sacrifice to move into the village where he was serving as pastor. It was scary to make this decision.” So Pastor Guy took a leap of faith and moved his family to the village of Neply—where he served as pastor for seven years.

New Missions means everything to the Fontaine family. Pastor George DeTellis became like a father figure to Pastor Guy—pouring into his life and mentoring him in so many ways. Jeanne shares, “Pastor Guy is shy but sincere. His loyalty and honesty have blessed the work of God. He does not appear like a charismatic runner, but his slow, steady spirit continues to bring a sense of stability to the ongoing ministry.” Currently, Pastor Guy serves as Charlie DeTellis’ right-hand man, and is considered the “pastor to all the pastors” at our New Missions churches in Haiti. He plays a vital role in many important decisions, such as finding new locations to build churches or hiring staff. He’s also instrumental in discipling young pastors and equipping the next generation of Haitian leaders.

His son, Jean Marc, is one of those leaders. There is no doubt Pastor Guy passes down a life and legacy full of faith and servanthood to his son and his grandchildren. He’s seen so many changes throughout the years—wonderful changes—where New Missions is present. He’s witnessed first-hand the faithfulness of God and how Jesus can change so many lives. His hope for the future is to see Haiti flourish and thrive. He longs for a day when there will be no more violence and unrest. But he also holds onto the hope that we have in Jesus and will continue to faithfully work every day God gives him. He fervently lives with a determined purpose and vision. ~Christine Batchelder