In the 1930s, Haitians who worked in sugar cane fields were starting to be forced to the Dominican Republic to work on their fields instead. Since Haitians and Dominicans are very different, and they have different customs, many were ostracized and did not feel comfortable worshipping God in their own way. So, the Haitian Baptist Association built a Church in La Romana, Dominican Republic, that would allow Haitians to worship God and feel comfortable with their own customs.

So, in the mid 1930s, the First Baptist Haitian Mission Church, the Maranatha Church, was born. In the 1980s, the late Rev. Jean Luc Phanord became the new pastor of the Maranatha Church, and he had big plans for La Romana. Not only did Pastor Phanord establish 21 Haitian Churches around the Dominican Republic, he also had a special place in his heart for the sugar cane workers. He did everything he could to improve their lifestyle. He also established churches and schools around the Bateys, since he knew that the only way out of abject poverty was through knowledge and education.In early 1985, a Haitian mother of 8, pregnant with her 9th child, was struggling in labor due to hypertension. She rushed to the nearest hospital, but was denied service because she was Haitian.

After giving birth to her child, she passed away on the steps of the hospital. Later that year, Pastor Phanord had a vision to build a hospital to serve anyone, no matter their race or financial status. To him, you just needed help and he wanted to help you. After tirelessly campaigning for supporters in the United States, and hundreds of hours of building, the Good Samaritan Hospital was opened in 1997. Its original use was an out-patient clinic, and served over 40,000 people per year.  After Pastor Phanord's death in 2001, the hospital continued construction, and is now a fully functioning, five story hospital that serves over 250,000 people per year, regardless of their ability to pay.