Guest Editorial: Kip McKean
“Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands!” Isaiah 42:12
For the last eleven days of March, Elena and I were on another exciting missionary journey, this time to “the islands.” Our first stop was Honolulu, located on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu – three time zones west of Los Angeles. After a warm reception at the airport by several Honolulu disciples, Kyle & Joan Bartholomew – the charismatic leaders of our Honolulu Church, Jay & Angie Hernandez – the new leaders of our Hilo Church, and Elena and I enjoyed a meal while we shared our dreams for God’s new movement.
Friday morning, we all climbed to the top of Diamond Head. While surveying the breath-taking view of the emerald isle and the many hues of the surrounding ocean waters, we prayed to our God to move powerfully in “evangelizing the nations in this generation.” That evening, the Honolulu congregation gathered to meet the Hernandezs and to hear a message from the Word. This year-and-a-half old church planting now numbers 50 disciples, with 80 in attendance on Sundays. They were so fired-up that if they were placed in the middle of a City of Angels Church Service, no one would be able to distinguish the Hawaiians from the Angelinos! Since the next day was Women’s Day, I chose to preach from the book of Esther admonishing the church to continue to trust in our Sovereign Lord, realizing that God has placed us in His kingdom “for such a time as this!” (Esther 4:14) After the Women’s Day and Elena’s lesson, Joan was so excited about all of the open visitors as the 20 Honolulu sisters had 44 in attendance!
Saturday afternoon, Evan & Kelly Bartholomew – who are transitioning from leading the Hilo Church to becoming the right hand couple in Honolulu – joined the Hernandezs and us on the short 30 minute flight to Hilo, located on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. Greeted again at the airport by enthusiastic disciples, the Hernandezs – who were with us from the beginning in Portland – were no strangers to the thunder, lighting and rain. Though Portland is said to have the most rain on the Mainland, Hilo is documented to be the rainiest city in all of the United States!
Sunday Church was electric! Jay & Angie won the hearts of all in Hilo with their tear-filled sharing about their lives during communion. Since it was still raining, I opened my lesson with the words from The Portland Song by DJ & Kacie Comisford: Where are the people that still dream? Welcome to Portland, Oregon! Where the rains apourin’! Hope your soul feels at home. All the people criticizin’ but we’re just baptizin’! Got plenty of H20! Hey O, welcome home!
The Hernandezs and Elena and I felt so “welcomed home” in the lively fellowship. As with Honolulu, the now 30 disciples of Hilo are equally as zealous as all the church plantings in the SoldOut Movement.
During the lesson, I encouraged the church by reminding them that it was in “little Hilo” (50,000 population) that the Lord “moved in mysterious ways” to initiate His new movement. In late 2006, after not having a baptism in a year and after visiting the Portland World Missions Jubilee, Kyle and Joan invited Elena and me to disciple the Hilo International Church of Christ. Sadly, our former fellowship sent ministers to oppose this effort, thus splitting the church. Twelve members (the leadership) came with us, and the other 20 – swayed by deceit and half-truths – went their own way and started a new congregation.
After calling the 12 to become sold-out disciples, in the next year the Lord blessed them with 20 baptisms! The “other church” still has not had a baptism to date, now over three years later. From this original 12, the eight members of LA’s Honolulu Mission Team, and Joe & Mary Santos – who started the Honolulu Remnant Group – emerges the now dynamic Honolulu and Hilo International Christian Churches. Sadly, in the Hawaiian Islands, our former fellowship is but a shadow of its former glory. At one time, the Honolulu International Church of Christ had 1,000 disciples, with 1,500 on Sundays! Today, after embracing in 2003 the Mainline theology of autonomy and the ensuing lukewarmness, they have only 200 on Sundays and average only five baptisms a year. But now, “the islands… look to [God] and wait in hope.” (Isaiah 51:5)
The following Thursday night, Elena and I arrived on the island of Guam – four time zones west of Hawaii! In fact, in going so far west one crosses the International Date Line, so this U.S. territory boasts, “America begins its day in Guam!” Well known in that region of the world is that Guam is home to very strategic U.S. Air Force and Naval bases.
Guam, our newest remnant group, was formed in January 2010. In anticipation of a life-changing weekend, almost all of the disciples and their children greeted us at theairport! Heroically leading these disciples are John & Bernie Pereda. (Bernie is an older sister of Therese Untalan.) Since Tony & Therese were in Guam just two weeks before our arrival, so many – Chamorros, Filipinos, Caucasians and African- Americans alike – were excited about the founding of a new discipling church. According to all with whom I talked, “the old church” – as with most churches in our former fellowship – is dying and now numbers around 70, less than half of its size seven years ago.
For the first three days, Elena & I devoted ourselves to preaching and teaching one-on-one and in small groups. Then on Sunday at the University of Guam, the nine sold-out disciples of the Guam International Christian Church were blessed by God with a attendance of 47! Now a good friend, Paul Chogolman was restored, which inspired many in the crowd to begin the same process. After the service, the “Guamanian spread” – which included the tasty “finadeni sauce” – was incredible!
John & Bernie are truly heroes in the faith. John – who daily fights pain from cancer and his radiation treatments – works in the Coca Cola Warehouse, performing constant manual labor. He shared with me that he prays every day for God to take the pain away while he is at work; and almost every day God honors this prayer. Bernie is a Vice President of the Bank of Guam and they are blessed with two wonderful daughters. Yet with all of these responsibilities and challenges, they walk powerfully with the Lord and get with disciples or non-Christians everyday to study the Word. They are truly an upward call for us all. Excitingly, arrangements have now been completed for Coleen Untalan – the oldest daughter of Tony & Therese – and her dynamic boyfriend Ricky Challinor, to be full-time summer interns in Guam!
In chapters 41-52 in Isaiah, the prophet uses the term “the islands” seven times. In this uplifting section, the designation of “the islands” is used interchangeably with the phrase “the ends of the earth.” That phrase is very purposefully incorporated by Jesus as He proclaims His world vision to His small remnant group of 11 apostles, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” So I could not help but be encouraged by Isaiah 52:9-10, as the Spirit – through His new movement – is gathering the scattered and hurting disciples around the world by forging them into united discipling churches. Isaiah prophetically writes for our day, “Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people… The Lord will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” Let it be known far and wide that even “the islands” now have hope! And to God be the glory!
Kip McKean
