A profound institutional crisis has emerged within Dominica’s charitable sector, threatening the continuity of a four-decade-old ministry serving the island’s most vulnerable populations. The conflict centers on Feed My Sheep (FMS) Dominica, a vital humanitarian organization now facing displacement from its longtime home at the Mahaut Gospel Tabernacle (MGT).
The Augustine family legacy, established by the late Pastor Samuel ‘Preacher’ Augustine and Sister Lena Augustine, represents one of Dominica’s most enduring philanthropic endeavors. Beginning in Delices before establishing permanent operations at Campbell Road in Mahaut, the couple created both a spiritual community and a comprehensive social support system. Their dual mission encompassed spiritual guidance through MGT and physical sustenance through FMS, operating in symbiotic harmony for forty years under Sister Lena’s leadership until her passing in June 2025.
Since her death, a distressing schism has developed between the church leadership and the charitable foundation. Dennis Augustine, eldest son of the founders and current board member of FMS, describes how the current MGT leadership has moved to terminate the four-decade arrangement that allowed both organizations to coexist. This action directly threatens the charity’s operational capacity to serve children, elderly, and homeless populations across Dominica.
The Augustine siblings have personally sustained FMS operations since July 2025, but acknowledge reaching their financial limits as entrepreneurs without professional fundraising infrastructure. Despite attempts at biblical reconciliation following Matthew 5:23-24 principles, their calls for dialogue have been met with silence and hostility from church leadership.
The organization now faces two simultaneous challenges: maintaining essential services including food bank operations and resident care, while preparing for potential legal action to secure their future. A public appeal has been launched seeking both mediation assistance from those connected to MGT leadership and financial support for both operational and legal expenses.
This confrontation raises fundamental questions about institutional legacy, religious responsibility toward social service, and the preservation of community-based humanitarian work. The outcome will determine whether what Dennis Augustine describes as his parents’ ‘pure religion’—the practical application of James 1:27’s mandate to care for the vulnerable—can continue in its intended form.