RMI Co-Founder Has Passed Away

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Rev. Herb Shoemaker, RMI's co-founder, passed away on Thursday morning, Feb. 13, 2025. He, his wife Shirley, his son Dan, and his wife Debbie co-founded RMI (Reciprocal Ministries International) in 1988. He and his wife were married for 68 years and were in full-time ministry for 60+ years until their retirement in 2010. They have three sons, 11 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

He attended King's College, where he met his wife.  Shirley had served as a summer missionary in Haiti twice and had developed a significant burden for the Haitian people.  Herb proposed to Shirley, saying, "Don't you think that the Lord could use us both in Haiti?"  They were married in 1956.  Before going to Haiti as missionaries, he served as pastor of Second Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora, NJ, for a year.  

They joined the West Indies Mission, which became World Team, and arrived in Haiti in 1960.  After serving in a variety of capacities, Herb became the Director of the MEBSH (The Evangelical Baptist Mission of South Haiti or Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud d'Haiti) Bible Institute and started the Theological Education by Extension Program for the Bible Institute.  They lived in Haiti until 1972 when they moved to the U.S. for their children to attend high school.  He became the area-campus representative for World Team (Chicago area), and in 1982, they moved to Miami, where Herb worked with World Team as Director of the Southeastern Caribbean.

In 1988, he co-founded RMI and served as president until 2005, when his son, Dan, became the president.  He continued to minister with RMI until 2010.

Herb was hospitalized in Naples, FL, near their home, on Saturday, February 8, 2025, with a severe infection.  Dan and his mom had a good, positive day with Herb on Wednesday, and the doctors were looking forward to releasing him into a rehabilitation facility the next day, Thursday.  However, his heart stopped Thursday morning, and they could not resuscitate him.

It was a shock for Shirley and the family since they thought he was on the mend.  Pray especially for Shirley.  Her eyesight is failing to the point that she can't read, and she relied heavily on Herb to take care of the day-to-day details of running the house.  He even read books out loud to her every evening.  He and Shirley were real soulmates.  They were a rare example of marital oneness.

Herb was a visionary; he was instrumental in establishing RMI's foundational program, the Sister Church Program (currently called the C3 Partnership Program). He left a legacy in Haiti; he trained many pastors all over southern Haiti.  He touched many lives everywhere he served in the US.  His spiritual legacy within his family extends four generations.  His steadfast love for the Lord was a great example to all those who knew him.  He was a faithful man of God and a man of prayer.

A memorial service will be held; time, date, and place will be announced.  In place of flowers, please donate to the Herb Shoemaker Haiti Memorial Fund, c/o Reciprocal Ministries International, 5475 Lee St., Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, FL  33971.