Abstract
Pentecostalism is growving in popularity in rural Haiti due to the emergence of Armée Céleste Churches. The popularity of these churches appears to rest upon a dlouble legitimacy. These churches exist, first, in a religious context in which they must present themselves as Christian churches, and, second, a medical context which requires efficient and effective response to medical conditions presented by the Haitian population. To ensure their success, they are organized around these two imperatives and borrow from local medical knowledge to accomplish the mandate they have defined for themselves and is expected of them. This article presents ethnographic data on the Armée Céleste Churches, offers reference points that explain their double legitimacy and, finally, defines them as healing churches. The article submits that the success of Pentecostalism in rural Haiti can be explained primarily by their concern for illness and healing.