In 1988 I met a group of men in Labasa, Fiji, who changed my life! These men were in their late twenties and early thirties, some single, others newly married. They were mostly Methodist, and born again, baptised in the Holy Spirit and zealous for the evangelisation of their beautiful Island nation.

A few years earlier, God had brought them together to facilitate an evangelistic outreach that had been the initiative of the World Literature Crusade. Their aim was to go two by two and present the gospel in every home on every island in Fiji … and they were doing just that.

At that time many thousands of  people had given their lives to Christ through this mission and a large infrastructure of discipleship groups, follow-up courses and the training of young evangelists and workers was being built. This was the exciting birth of what is now an expanding movement of churches around the world simply called, Christian Mission Fellowships, and the beginnings of a vital training college now called the World Harvest Institute.

Once they had completed their goal of visiting every home in the nation … they set out to do it a second time. Trained at a ramshackle base and sent out trusting God for their material support. They lived by faith and witnessed about Jesus, often encountering violent persecution. At the end of the second coverage over 10,000 new converts were being followed-up.

Because of their zeal and their success, many of the established churches with whom they were seeking to work would not disciple their converts. But along with the stories of hardship and danger were stories of miracles, healing and supernatural provision … the book of Acts was on our doorstep in the South Pacific, and so year after year we kept returning with teams, not because they were a needy mission desperate for help from the west, but because this was a remarkable move of God and we couldn’t keep away! 

Eventually for the care of this great harvest, their own Christian fellowships were formed and pastors raised up  …  the World Harvest Institute then became a centre where hundreds of young Fijians were being trained each year as church planters, Christian leaders, pastors, and evangelists.

One of the reasons I kept wanting to take people there from my church was that these were a people who had laid down their lives totally for Christ … you’re never the same once you’ve seen people like that. A river boarders the property where the Bible College was located for most of the past decade. When the students arrived at Seniwaloa they would first have to cross the river, and upon crossing, left behind relationships, possessions, occupations, ambitions of success in the world. The river became a powerful symbol. Then to see what God can do with young people who unconditionally and materially become a living sacrifice. Every team member from Hamilton …we always knew we received more than we ever gave.

In 2003 we handed the leadership of our Hamilton church to our son, Toby, and set up residence in Labasa, Fiji, in response to a call from Fiji’s Christian Mission Fellowship to serve in that mission-field overseeing the “rebuilding” of CMF’s  leadership, ministry and missionary training school, the World Harvest Institute.

Over four years we have been busy ...

1. •Introducing new programs and curriculum: including establishing five Discipleship Schools in other parts of the Pacific.
   

2. •Establishing efficient administrative  and campus operations.
   

3. •Coaching staff and setting up the School of Pastoral Life and   Ministry for serving pastors and leaders (currently  attracting over 100 each year).
   

4. •Entering a joint relationship with Oral Roberts University to offer students ’credit-earning’ courses of  international standard.
   

5. •Re-shaping financial systems and   raising over three quarters of a million dollars for the operation and new building programs on the campus.
   

6. •Setting up a modern administrative  office and campus library.
   

In November 2006, we placed this ‘re-built’ training school in the hands of the Principal and Staff to run, without having us in residence. This milestone action has only been reached through the wonderful support we have received for the past four years from our Mission Club members and supporting churches.

The World Harvest Institute continues to be the primary training ground for hundreds of young men and women from all around the Pacific who become pastors, leaders and missionaries … so far, in every continent on earth except South America and Antarctica! We have been able to take the Bible School to a whole new level of  effectiveness and depth of training.

We continue to serve the World Harvest Institute from our home base in New Zealand, and visits to the campus on Vanua Levu (see ‘Mission’ page).  It’s a fantastic partnership.

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