Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, 540-538-4741, 202-547-1735

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The group says it is now clear that the American missionaries were only trying to help needy children in Haiti and were not involved in human trafficking or kidnapping.

Faith leaders will go the Haitian Embassy in Washington D.C. in an attempt to secure their release.
 
The Coalition calls upon the Obama Administration to move more aggressively to secure the Americans release and publicly state the group had no intentions of trafficking or kidnapping.
 
The Obama Administration's silence on this issue has slowed efforts to free these Christian missionaries.

The Christian Defense also wants to remind Haitian leaders and officials that the people they have labeled as "kidnappers" and "traffickers" are part of the Christian community that has given millions of dollars to help their country, opened schools and medical clinics, orphanages, teaches their children and are now giving countless hours and dollars to help rebuild their country after the devastating earthquake last month.
 
The Haitian government should not make an "example" out of people who were only trying to help their country.
 
The Christian Defense Coalition in the past has worked with members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Idaho on a variety of projects.
 
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states,
 
"We call for the immediate release of the ten American Christian missionaries now under arrest and detained in Haiti.
 
"The purpose for their being in Haiti is now clear.  They sacrificed their own security and comfort to help the needy children of Haiti after the devastating earthquake last month.
 
"It is obvious that these missionaries are not traffickers or kidnappers but simply caring Christians sharing the love of God in the most difficult of situations.
 
"They attempted to comply with local Haitian law, to the best of their ability, as they reached out to these 33 children.  They were actually arrested as they were returning back to Port-Au-Prince to secure the necessary paper work for their charitable mission.
 
"It is important to remind Haitian leaders, who have called the missionaries traffickers and kidnappers, that they represent the same Christian community that has given millions of dollars to help Haiti over the years.  These are the same kinds of people who have helped build schools, orphanages and medical clinics in that country and who are now on the ground rebuilding their country.
 
"We would also ask that the Obama Administration take a more aggressive stance in securing their release and publicly affirming that these Christian missionaries are not traffickers or kidnappers."
 
For more information or interviews call:
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney at 540.538.4741     202.547.1735