July Teaching Trip - Y8T3

The Y8T3 teaching module is now complete and everything went very well.  In fact, it was about as close to a pre-covid teaching module as we've had since returning in August 2022.  I'll not repeat everything in the July report available HERE, but I do want to share a few extra things with you.  Pictures from the trip are available HERE, and you can watch videos HERE.  It is always a highlight for those of us who travel to the Solomon Islands to hear the men sing and praise our God and Savior.

During my time in the Solomons from July 26-August 5, I met with one of the local churches about the possibility of using their property for future SIMBSS teaching terms because as we proceed through the transition of SIMBSS to a more indigenous model, they will not be able to continue meeting in the rented facility.  Those discussions had been going on through email prior to my arrival, so it was good to get the opportunity to sit down and have a face-to-face discussion.

I also was able to have several discussions with the potential graduates about the graduation service planned for October 21, 2023. I say potential because a few of them are still working on overdue assignments and remedial work, which if they all finish, we'll have around 15 graduates.  We are very excited to be at this point and it is a critical time in the life of the seminary in the Solomon Islands.  The men in line to graduate have had to endure lots of changes and adversity in their educational time.  We've had to move venues two times, had a 2.5 year break due to the pandemic, and they have faced doctrinal attacks from within their own ranks.  Of course, they've endured the regular hardships that come to all men because of the sin-cursed world in which we live.  I'm so very proud and thankful for their perseverance and testimony.

During this teaching module, we had lessons on 1) The Harmony of the Gospels, 2) The ABC's of Christian Maturity (Lesson W [The Role of Women], Lesson X [Excuses for not serving]), 3) The ABC's of Christian Maturity (Lesson Y [Youth], Lesson Z [Zeal]), and 4) Disciple-Making & Discipleship.

Pastor Brendan Zimmerman, Millmerran Baptist Church in Millmerran, Australia is a friend I've made during my time of traveling to the Solomon Islands.  He was gracious enough to join us for Y8T3 and did a wonderful job teaching the Harmony of the Gospels.  This was his 3rd trip to the Solomon Islands.

Pastor Fred Kove, from the Su'Sua MBC located on the extreme eastern end of Guadalcanal Province (Marau Sound), taught the lessons on "The Role of Women" and "Excuses". Bro Fred is one of the men who will graduate in October and did a wonderful job on the lessons...even though he only had a short time to prepare.  As the departure date for Y8T3 drew closer, a couple of instructors had to withdraw, and being somewhat backed into a corner, I had to call in the reinforcements!  Bro Fred is one of the most respected men in our student body.  In the last couple of years, he has taken a backseat in the role of senior pastor and his son, Renton is now the pastor.  Bro Renton will also graduate in October.

Pastor Timson Daoau is the pastor of the LD Foreman MBC located in North Malaita (Malu'u) and taught the lessons on Youth and Zeal.  Bro Timson will also graduate in October.  All that I said about Bro Fred having a short time to prepare is echoed with Bro Timson.  Bro Timson actually had less time to prepare because he doesn't have much internet capability in his home area, so he wasn't able to begin preparing until he arrived in Honiara for classes on Saturday before they began on Monday.  Bro Timson is also a highly respected man in the student body and has a very meek and humble spirit.  Many of you have held the war club that I've had on display in my booth, which was on loan to me by Bro Timson.  In April 2023, I returned the war club to Bro Timson.  After the long covid break and my own dad's passing, it just seemed like it should go back home. I placed a personal note on the war club to Timson and his family, but here it is without my note.  I thought it was interesting that he gave it to me in April 2016 and I returned it in April 2023.  His father passed away on 20 March 2003 and mine passed away on 25 March 2022.

I taught lessons on Disciple-Making and Discipleship for the second teaching term in a row.  

Please allow me to provide some history.  I was born again around the age of 12 (1976), and for the next 34 years or so (2010), I was unaware of this clear and simple mandate Christ gave his disciples: "Go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations."  In 2010, while still in my pastorate at Calvary MBC in Idabel, I read a book entitled "The Disciple-Making Pastor", and it literally struck me to my core.  The writer expounded on the Great Commission in ways that I had never heard, and I was (and still am) convinced that the problems I was having in ministry (and the problems other brethren were having too) were a direct result of pastors not making disciples who made disciples and teaching their people to make disciples that made disciples (Mt.28:19-20, Eph.4:11-12, 2Tim.2:2). 

Immediately, I began trying to implement some of the principles outlined in the book.  The writer said that if these principles were introduced into existing churches that there would be resistance, and even though I thought it wouldn't happen at my church or in our work, I was sad to find out he was right.  You'd have thought I was preaching another Gospel!  Since I am writing this in a public forum, I'll bypass the details and specific accounts, but needless to say I retreated a bit and sought a different approach.  I tried a few things, and then in 2012 the sponsorship of SIMBSS came along which totally captured my focus.  Even though 2 Timothy 2:2 was our theme verse, it was as though it was unrelated to disciple-making.  In late 2020, with Covid-19 totally controlling our lives, I came across that book, "The Disciple-Making Pastor", in my personal library.  I read it again and this time I realized it was something that must be implemented in my life, and as much as I could, I needed to bring other people to this understanding.

I want to tell you about something I learned at the close of this teaching module.  On Thursday nights, we typically have a share time where students & instructors sing together and share personal things about the teaching week, their lives (personal and pastoral), struggles, needs, etc.  Sometimes the things shared are very personal, so I don't typically record anything.  Such was the case on Thursday night, but I do want to share something that happened.

To my immediate left is Pastor Jimmy Ishmael, Pastor John Mae and Bro Danny Sa'asa.  Sometime around 2017 or 2018, Pastor Jimmy became burdened about his home village in East Malaita Province.  Pastor Jimmy is the pastor of New Bride Hope MBC in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands and they essentially "released" or "separated" Jimmy to go to East Malaita.  I believe with all my heart that it was the Lord (Holy Spirit) that burdened Jimmy and sent him to East Malaita.  The church in his home village in East Malaita had long since died following the death of their pastor.  

It is important and necessary for you to understand the hardship involved in traveling from Western Province to East Malaita.  Pastor Jimmy must take a small boat ride of about 1.5 hours to the mainland and catch a bus (1/2 hour) to the seaport where he boards a ship bound for Honiara (18hrs).  There are no staterooms or accommodations...you just find a spot and sit on the deck.  After reaching Honiara, you catch a ship to Auki (one of the seaports on Malaita Province) which can be from 2-7 hours.  Once reaching Auki, you catch a transport truck which is a 3 ton cab over truck with a big dump bed on the back.  People pile in the dump bed and that is where they ride.  The ride from Auki to the end of the road in East Malaita is only about 45 miles but it takes some 7-8 hours to get there.  Once you reach the end of the road, you have to catch another ship (6 hrs) and finally, walk an hour to reach the village.  The cost of this trip one-way is about $1800 SBD ($240 USD) and I don't know how many times he made the trip.  He never asked me for help.

It is also important for you to know the sacrifices that had to be made (not counting the money) in order for Pastor Jimmy to go.  He had to leave the church he pastors, his wife and children for long periods of time.  Typically, he would make the trip in conjunction with a quarterly SIMBSS teaching module.  For example: He would come to the SIMBSS class and when the class was complete, he would travel on over to his home village and work there until it was time for SIMBSS class the following quarter.  After those classes were complete, he'd go home.  I know he made other trips from Western Province to East Malaita and back between teaching modules.

So, Pastor Jimmy goes to East Malaita to teach and preach and work among the people.  In the process, John Mae is led to the Lord and surrenders to preach.  Others are won to the Lord and the teaching continues.  Those present then decide to build a new church building because the other had deteriorated beyond repair.  I wasn't asked for help to build the building either.  I am under the impression that churches in the Solomons contributed to the project of building the building, so New Bride Hope MBC did not bear the cost alone.  As Bro Jimmy continues making trips and as Bro John continues doing what he can, Danny is led to the Lord.  Danny is a village chief and lives in the highlands (along the ridge on the mountain where the heathens live) and begins coming down the mountain to attend worship with John, Jimmy and the others.  During covid-19, a contingency of pastors visit East Malaita to organize the new church, Bride Hope MBC.
  This past January, I met Danny for the first time and in the course of a long conversation with him, he wants to know why it took 50 year for the Missionary Baptists to get to his village.  I didn't have an answer for him except that there were people in my village who have been waiting just like he had!

Even though that during the time SIMBSS teaching modules were being held and 2 Timothy 2:2 had been memorized and quoted countless times, I had not been talking about "making disciples".  In spite of that, I believe that is what Pastor Jimmy was doing...and DID.

I believe the New Testament clearly shows that disciples were made and then churches were formed with the disciples which were present.  One passage in particular: Acts 13:51-14:23.  And I think this is what Pastor Jimmy did also!

In closing, a couple of things stand out from Thursday night:

1) Pastor Jimmy tearfully shared with everyone that in 2011 he was saved and surrendered to preach.  Upon surrendering, he couldn't see how God could use an uneducated man like him.  Then in 2012, when word came that a seminary school may begin in Solomon, he was determined to attend.  Even while the share time was going on, Pastor Jimmy still saw himself as that same uneducated man, but that he was thankful he was about to graduate from SIMBSS.

2) After Pastor Jimmy finishes, Pastor John stands and shares his story of Jimmy coming and how thankful he is.  He goes on further and says that he is only an infant in Christ and needs someone to come and help him.  He didn't ask for money.  He simply asked for someone to come and disciple/train him to be an effective servant of the Lord.

Jesus said to go make disciples, not plant churches because I believe He KNEW that if disciples were made, the formation of a church would naturally follow.

Here are a few pics that Pastor John shared with me:

A family who are coming to worship with Pastor John after repenting of their sin.

Bro Danny in his tribal attire before he repented.

Pastor John's wife, Maslyn, teaching the children