A Missionary's Dream in Fiji

ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Fiji is located on an island chain in the South Pacific. Biblical Ministries Worldwide's first contact with any Fijian was in 1970 at Maranatha Bible College in Whangarei, New Zealand.

In 1973 a BMW missionary visited Fiji and erected a building for the pastor and his family. That building (16'x24') was also used for the Bible studies which evolved into the Labasa Bible Church. As that church grew over the years, they reached out into other village areas and small Bible study groups formed into other churches. In 1988 BMW's first resident missionaries, Myron and Charlotte Mattocks, entered Fiji.

AMONG THE FIJIANS
The Islands Bible Institute was opened in March of 1990 in a four-story building which the Lord provided for BMW in Labasa, Vanua Levu, Fiji. Islands Bible Institute is the key facility for the discipling of the Fijian people. This is a three-year study program that follows a standard Bible institute cirriculum with modifications to suit local needs.

Students are discipled personally in character development and used in various practical ministries to develop skills in ministering the Word of God to others. From those trained in this manner, 85% are currently working in full-time ministries throughout Fiji.

All of the churches in the Fiji fellowship are autonomous from the start, so BMW personnel are not involved in the processes of indiginization as are many of our other missionaries.

Missionaries: Bob and Martha Ensminger (Field leader for Fijian ministry).

National workers: Saimone and Sereima Tuiraki, Tui and Josephine Rakabikabi, Viliame and Salameke Keresi, and Sekoko and Elenoa Keresi.

AMONG THE INDIANS
The Lord has recently opened a door of opportunity for us to minister among the Indian Hindu people living in Fiji. They make up over half of the population.

PURPOSE:
Our mission in Fiji is to establish churches primarily among Indians by making disciples and training leaders.

VALUES:

1. Cultural relevance
2. Church based training by mentoring
3. Everyday personal evangelism
4. Relationship driven ministry
5. Apostolic approach in church planting by spontaneous multiplication

VISION:
In the next decade, twenty cell churches that are continuing to multiply themselves.

STRATEGY:

1. STAGE ONE (LANGUAGE AQUISITION) The team will devote their time entirely to language and learning the culture. The language acquisition will be by involvement with people who become resource people. This is “culture driven language acquisition”. The language learning period is designed to build relationships that will eventually lead to evangelism.
2. STAGE TWO (EVANGELISM) To conduct chronological Bible Studies in as many locations as possible.
3. STAGE THREE (DISCIPLESHIP) To focus on using believers to help with starting and teaching chronological Bible Studies elsewhere. At the same time focus on helping new believers come to maturity through personal discipleship.
4. STAGE FOUR (CONSOLIDATION) To group believers and help them begin functioning together as a cell group.
5. STAGE FIVE (LEADERSHIP TRAINING) To formalize a training system that is church based and non-formal.
   

NEEDS:

The field of Fiji is seeking one unit to help in teaching at the Islands Bible Institute and to work alongside our graduates in church planting. We also need two units who would be willing to work in reaching the Hindus. They would need to learn the Hindi language.

Missionaries: Jeff and Cheryl White

For more information, contact Bob Ensminger or BMW's international office.

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