When harvest daily is up and running, stories such as the one below will be delivered to smartphones, bringing tales of the faithful, news of churches being planted, fields in need of laborers, and urgent prayer requests.
Paradise found
HONIARA, SOLOMONS ISLANDS
Seventy-five years ago, one of the fiercest battles of the Pacific war was taking place on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomons group, costing the lives of 26,000 people—1,600 American, 84 Australian, and 24,000 Japanese.
Today, a new battle is being fought, for the eternal souls of men.
After many years of the country being closed to Independent Baptist churches, the door has swung open. The government no longer requires churches to join the local evangelical association, and inter-tribal battles that brought the Solomons to the brink of collapse, have given way to peace.
Honiara Bible Baptist Church has been established by Pastor Charlie Haddad, of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Newcastle, Australia, with the help of evangelist Joshua Koura. Together they spent many months street preaching, winning souls, and baptizing converts in the warm waters of the South Pacific Ocean. “The hearts of the people are hungry and open to the gospel,” Pastor Haddad says. “Everywhere we go, people take tracts, and stop to listen to the preaching.”
Years of watering the field took place before the Honiara church was set up. The first survey trip in 2005 was a joint American-Australian operation, with missionary Tom Gonderman of Southland Baptist Church in Sydney, traveling to the islands with Bro. Haddad. Pastor Gonderman is now in Washington D.C., with a ministry that takes the gospel into the Marine Corps and the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill.
Many Independent Baptist churches have taken part in the Solomons outreach, including Stanley Heights in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S., Calvary (Melbourne), Metropolitan (Sydney) and Faith (Regents Park, Sydney) in Australia.
More than 15,000 Bibles have been distributed, with funding through Baptist International Missions Inc., (BIMI) and churches in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
The mammoth distribution project was organized by missionary Tim Meyer, of Harvest Baptist Church in Beenleigh, Queensland, who put together a team of 30 people, visiting 98 schools across the islands, hiking through tough terrain, sailing on choppy seas, canoeing up turbulent streams, and driving trucks on dirt (and muddy) tracks.
The field is large, and the laborers are few. Most of the population of 600,000 Melanesians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Europeans, and Chinese live on Guadalcanal and Malaita, with many thousands more scattered over 600 of the 900 islands.
What the Solomons needs now is a resident pastor, or team, to strengthen the outreach. Men are being trained to take leadership, with frequent visits organized by Pastor Haddad. But an ongoing presence would see many more saved and discipled.
For more information on the Honiara church, and how you can help, please contact Pastor Haddad. Contact Tim Meyer for more on his ongoing discipling ministry in the islands, planned evangelistic youth rallies, deaf ministry, and medical mission.
CAPTIONS (from top to bottom): Faces of joy; songs of praise; evangelist Joshua Koura’s wife Natalie teaching the peace sign; Pastor Haddad preaching; Calvary Baptist Church’s former pastor Ernie Veszley teaching; schoolchildren “waving the answer back to Heaven,” with Peter Fahd from Faith Baptist, Regents Park, Sydney; David Malby, member of the Honiara church; former children’s and youth evangelist Kevin Currell, of Wesburn Baptist Church, Melbourne (now principal of Victoria Baptist Bible College); and Joshua Koura, with newly arrived tracts. Photos: KEVIN CURRELL, JOSHUA KOURA.
Paradise found
HONIARA, SOLOMONS ISLANDS
Seventy-five years ago, one of the fiercest battles of the Pacific war was taking place on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomons group, costing the lives of 26,000 people—1,600 American, 84 Australian, and 24,000 Japanese.
Today, a new battle is being fought, for the eternal souls of men.
CAPTIONS (from top to bottom): Faces of joy; songs of praise; evangelist Joshua Koura’s wife Natalie teaching the peace sign; Pastor Haddad preaching;Calvary Baptist Church’s former pastor ErnieVeszley teaching; schoolchildren “waving the answer back to Heaven,” with Peter Fahd from Faith Baptist, Regents Park, Sydney; David Malby, member of the Honiara church; former children’s and youth evangelist Kevin Currell, of Wesburn Baptist Church, Melbourne (now principal of Victoria Baptist Bible College); and Joshua Koura, with newly arrived tracts. Photos: KEVIN CURRELL, JOSHUA KOURA.
After many years of the country being closed to Independent Baptist churches, the door has swung open. The government no longer requires churches to join the local evangelical association, and inter-tribal battles that brought the Solomons to the brink of collapse, have given way to peace.
Honiara Bible Baptist Church has been established by Pastor Charlie Haddad, of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Newcastle, Australia, with the help of evangelist Joshua Koura. Together they spent many months street preaching, winning souls, and baptizing converts in the warm waters of the South Pacific Ocean. “The hearts of the people are hungry and open to the gospel,” Pastor Haddad says. “Everywhere we go, people take tracts, and stop to listen to the preaching.”
Years of watering the field took place before the Honiara church was set up. The first survey trip in 2005 was a joint American-Australian operation, with missionary Tom Gonderman of Southland Baptist Church in Sydney, traveling to the islands with Bro. Haddad. Pastor Gonderman is now in Washington D.C., with a ministry that takes the gospel into the Marine Corps and the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill.
Many Independent Baptist churches have taken part in the Solomons outreach, including Stanley Heights in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S., Calvary (Melbourne), Metropolitan (Sydney) and Faith (Regents Park, Sydney) in Australia.
More than 15,000 Bibles have been distributed, with funding through Baptist International Missions Inc., (BIMI) and churches in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
The mammoth distribution project was organized by missionary Tim Meyer, of Harvest Baptist Church in Beenleigh, Queensland, who put together a team of 30 people, visiting 98 schools across the islands, hiking through tough terrain, sailing on choppy seas, canoeing up turbulent streams, and driving trucks on dirt (and muddy) tracks.
The field is large, and the laborers are few. Most of the population of 600,000 Melanesians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Europeans, and Chinese live on Guadalcanal and Malaita, with many thousands more scattered over 600 of the 900 islands.
What the Solomons needs now is a resident pastor, or team, to strengthen the outreach. Men are being trained to take leadership, with frequent visits organized by Pastor Haddad. But an ongoing presence would see many more saved and discipled.
For more information on the Honiara church, and how you can help, please contact Pastor Haddad.
Contact Tim Meyer for more on his ongoing discipling ministry in the islands, planned evangelistic youth rallies, deaf ministry, and medical mission.
