HISTORICAL Timeline of MISSIONS in the PACIFIC Region The Evolving World of Missions in the Pacific Region The church is the body of Christ in the world. While we readily acknowledge that the body of Christ consists of more than the organization known as the United Pentecostal Church International, it is a significant part of that body. Our ministry purpose is to reconcile to Christ all people groups, cultures, languages, and nations. Despite small beginnings and tremendous struggles, the UPCI missionary endeavour has grown steadily to encompass most of the world s nations. We owe a debt of gratitude to the missionaries who have, through wars, upheavals, natural disasters, grave sickness, spent the most productive years of their lives spreading this glorious Gospel! HISTORICAL TIMELINE of PACIFIC MISSIONARY HISTORY 1915 P. R. Rushin was sent by the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World to the Philippine Islands 1936 George and Helen White were appointed to Java by The Pentecostal Church Incorporated 1947 Elmer and Hettie Buckmiller were appointed by United Pentecostal Church to Java to assist the Whites Edith Berthoux was also appointed to assist in Indonesia 1948 The Whites and Buckmillers received the new station wagon purchased by the Missouri District for the work in Java 1950 The W. R. and Sally Pardue family, with two daughters, were appointed to China but could not obtain visas. They felt led to go to Java, Indonesia. 1952 Glen and Iris Bogue were appointed as missionaries to Australia 1957 Carlos Grant appointed as missionary to the Philippine Islands 1958 Arthur and Roberta Dillon were appointed as missionaries to the Philippine Islands The Elmer Buckmillers transfer to the Philippine Islands The Australian church started Bible School with T. J. Turkington as President 1960 The M. C. Picklesimer family were on location in Pago Pago, American Samoa The Glen Bogue s received a station wagon and a gospel tent from Sheaves for Christ 1961 Because of secular pressure, the church in Indonesia was nationalized All information provided is taken directly from The Evolving World of Foreign Missions, by Daniel L. Scott Roger D. Buckland "1
1962 Sister Roberta Dillon contacted poliomyelitis which left her paralyzed and had to return to America in an iron lung L.T. Reynolds appointed to Samoa 1963 John L. and Madeline Brian appointed to Australia 1964 Denzil Richardson Family arrive to the Philippine Islands 1965 The W. E. Davis s were appointed to Samoa 1966 Carl Adams appointed to India, however, because a visa was unobtainable, was then appointed to the Philippines 1967 Lloyd and Loretta Moreau appointed to New Zealand Lee Roy and Becky Sherry appointed to Western Australia 1968 Gordon and Afton Mallory appointed to India or Philippines Hettie Buckmiller critically ill with cancer, evacuated from the Philippines via USAF plane loaded with casualties from Vietnam Carl and Evelyn Adams arrive in the Philippines to take up the torch of the Elmer Buckmiller Family 1969 The Gary Nepstad s appointed to the Philippine Islands Lloyd and Loretta Moreau arrive in New Zealand as the country s 1st UPCI missionaries Denzil Richardson s change from Philippine Islands to Madagascar, Africa Crawford Coon s appointed to Indonesia 1971 The Don Dobyns appointed to Samoa Henry and Bonnie McCrury were appointed to Indonesia Fred Hyde appointed to Indonesia - awaits visa 1972 Tonga was opened to the Gospel The Australian Church sent it s first missionary, the Richard and Margaret Carver family, to Papua New Guinea 1973 Fred Hyde transferred from Indonesia to the Philippines 1974 Richard and Coral Denny appointed to the Philippine Islands Gary and Saundra Nepstad transferred from the Philippines to Singapore Floyd and Ella Borders appointed to New Zealand 1975 Homer Compton approved as missionary associate to the South Pacific for one year Singapore was opened to the Gospel 1976 Leo Upton approved for evangelistic tour through Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand John May recommended for appointment to Indonesia 1977 Nathaniel Young recommended for appointment to the Solomon Islands Sister Helen White appointed as Associate Missionary to Indonesia after the death of George White in 1976 Harold Caffee appointed to the Philippines Bobby Sutton appointed as missionary to Indonesia 1978 L. D. Lewis family appointed to the Philippines Gordon and Afton Mallory for appointment to the Philippine Islands Jessie McKinnerney family appointed to Tonga 1979 Carl and JoAnne Varnell appointed to the Philippine Islands Roger D. Buckland "2
1981 Jerry McQuay family appointed to the Philippines H.D. McCrury family appointed to Indonesia Dale and Josephine Starks field change from Germany to Singapore / Malaysia 1982 The C.P. Kilgore Memorial was approved for Manila, Philippines - purchase of land and construction of a Bible School 1983 The John Wolframs were appointed to the South Pacific (Tonga, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia) The David Banta s transferred from South Korea to the military work in the Philippines The David and Kathy Brott family was appointed to the Philippine Islands The John and Nory Cogan family was appointed as assistant missionaries to the Philippines 1984 The Regions are Restructured: Asia / Pacific become two Regions Pacific: Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and other islands of the Pacific excluding Taiwan and Japan Micronesia was defined as the lesser Pacific islands north of the equator and west of the International Date Line including Nauru. The South Pacific was defined as all Pacific islands south of the equator except New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea. Mervyn and Marilyn Miller appointed as Regional Field Supervisor for the Pacific Headquarters and Bible School project in Mindanao, Philippine Islands approved The George White Memorial Training Facility dedicated (Indonesia) Robert and Dorothy Arthur appointed to the Chinese ethnic group of the Philippine Islands Don Dobyns resigned from missionary service Robert and Judy Addington family appointed to New Zealand Roger and Becky Buckland family appointed to the Philippine Islands T. J. and Joanne Marshall family appointed to the Philippine Islands Rodger and Margaret White family appointed to Malaysia / Singapore 1985 John and Deborah Wolfram transferred from South Pacific to the Philippine Islands Richard and Margaret Carver family appointed to Papua New Guinea Glen and Beverly Clark appointed to the Philippines 1986 Lloyd Moreau appointed to New Zealand Melvin Berglund appointed to Indonesia R.Steven and Barbara Willoughby appointed to Thailand, however, was later changed to Singapore because a visa could not be processed for Thailand. 1987 Cecil and Carolyn Sullivan family appointed to the Philippine Islands 1988 Richard and Margaret Carver change field from Papua New Guinea to New Zealand Roscoe Seay appointed to Papua New Guinea Donald Patridge family appointed to Micronesia Kenneth and Shelba Reed appointed to Indonesia 1989 Lee Roy and Becky Sherry change field from Australia to Fiji/South Pacific Robert and Deretha Forbush change field from Hong Kong to Australia R. Steven and Barbara Willoughby change field from Thailand to Malaysia Benny and Pat Blunt were appointed to Fiji The Johnny Wilhoite family were appointed as Regional Evangelist for Asia/Pacific 1990 Malaysia was added to Rodger and Margaret White s appointment T. J. and Joanne Marshall change field from Philippine Islands to Greece Roger D. Buckland "3
1991 Carl and JoAnne Varnell appointed as Regional Field Supervisor for the Pacific Region Singapore was added to R. Steven Willoughby s appointment Richard and Margaret Carver change of field from New Zealand to South Pacific Roy Bettis authorized to oversee the work in Guam and Micronesia 1992 Field change for Richard Carver to Fiji/South Pacific Request from Philippine Islands regarding nationalization was accepted Request from Philippine Island Nationalization Missionary Policy to send missionaries was accepted Field change for Roscoe Seay from Papua New Guinea to Australia/Solomon Islands Field change for Lee Sherry from Fiji/South Pacific to Vanuatu 1993 Field change for Robert Arthur from China to New Zealand The Philippine Church elects their first national superintendent Request for the UPC of Australia to reassume legal responsibility for the UPA of Papua New Guinea, as provided in its constitution. Field change for Donald and Mary Patridge from Micronesia to Trinidad/Tobago Field change for Roger and Becky Buckland from Philippines to Czech Republic/Slovakia Field change for John and Debbie Wolfram from Hawaii/South Pacific to Pacific and Southeast Asia 1994 Over 4,000 receive the Holy Ghost in the Papua New Guinea conference 1995 Field change for Dale and Josephine Starks from Malaysia to missionary evangelists Asia/Pacific Field change for Kenneth and Shelba Reed from Indonesia to New Zealand 1996 David and Kathy Brott reappointed as Career Missionaries to Philippines and Pacific/Asia Regions Brian and Esther Henry appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to Papua New Guinea Micronesia becomes two fields: Micronesia East (Marshall Islands and Kiribati) and Micronesia West (Guam, Federal States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands) Field change for John and Debbie Wolfram from Pacific/Southwest Asia to Micronesia West, Vietnam, and the Pacific Region Construction of Bible School facility in PNG upon arrival of Area Coordinator, Robert Forbush approved 1997 Richard and Coral Denny appointed as Regional Director for the Pacific Region Rodger and Margaret White resign from missionary service Field change for Roy and Maurine Bettis from Guam/Micronesia to Micronesia East Field change for Robert and Deretha Forbush from Australia to Missionary Prayer Evangelist at large Field change for John and Debbie Wolfram from West Micronesia/Vietnam/Pacific to West Micronesia/Pacific Glen Clark resigned as missionary to the Philippines Dale and Josephine Starks resigned as missionaries due to health reasons Field change for Benny and Pat Blunt from Kingdom of Tonga to Kingdom of Tonga/Western Samoa 1998 Construction of a John Brian Memorial in Fiji approved 1999 Field change for Roscoe and Mary Seay from Solomon Islands to Australia/Solomon Islands Chester and Carole Terry appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to Australia Kevin and Lolita Vacca field change from Taiwan to Philippines Phenomenal report of 9,000 receiving the Holy Ghost in Papua New Guinea 2000 John and Debbie Wolfram resign from Career Missionary service N. Lee Young appointed as Intermediate Missionary to New Zealand First official Global Council held on November 8-10, 2000 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Roger D. Buckland "4
2001 Field change for Richard and Margaret Carver from Fiji/South Pacific to Australia/South Pacific Thirty-six Follow the Fire Crusades reported that 94,182 who received the Holy Ghost Brother and Sister Bellette went as missionaries from Australia to Irian Jaya, Indonesia, but Brother Bellette passed away shortly after arriving. Margaret Bellette continued on, establishing and building the church in Jaya Pura, Indonesia. David and Kelly Dibble appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to the Philippines Jonathan Sherry was appointed as Intermediate Missionary to Vanuatu Michael G. and Lisa Long appointed as Intermediate Missionary to Vanuatu 2002 Wesley and Debbie Morgan resign as missionaries to Australia 2003 Roy Bettis resigns as missionary to Micronesia East 2004 Carter and Joanna Moore appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to Fiji/Tonga/ Samoa Field change for Richard and Margaret Carver from Australia/South Pacific to Australia/ South Pacific/ Papua New Guinea 2005 The first Pacific Regional Missionary, Loudebin Delaz, appointed from the Philippine Islands to the Republic of Palau Robert and Deretha Forbush retire as Career Missionaries Roscoe and Mary Seay retire due to medical conditions as Career Missionaries Brian and Esther Henry change field from Papua New Guinea to Scandinavia Revival broke out among the Aborigines in the Outback of Australia with over fifty receiving the baptism 2006 Steve Piercy appointed to the Philippines 2007 Peter and Robyn Gration appointed to Papua New Guinea and later transferred to Vanuatu 2012 Richard Carver Jr Family appointed as Intermediate Missionary to Papua New Guinea Mitchell and Gerri Fox family appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to Fiji Honor and Appreciation to our National Brothers and Sisters: Missionaries leave all behind in order to fulfill the Great Commission: Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations. By obedience to this directive, the missionary involves himself daily in teaching, preaching, training, discipling, mentoring -- all for the purpose of transfer of leadership to the nationals whom he is serving. The missionary does not go to build a kingdom for himself, but to advance HIS Kingdom! Because nationals in countries around the globe have responded to the Message, embraced the Truth, are men and women of integrity, possess christian character, and are passionate about winning the lost, the work of God continues to bring forth a beautiful harvest, season after season! Year after year! May God continue to bless our National Leaders, Pastors, Saints, and churches around the globe! After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9 Roger D. Buckland "5
PACIFIC REGION SUMMARY YEAR CONSTITUENTS TOTAL MINISTERS TOTAL CHURCHES & PREACHING POINTS 2014 514 328 4 639 7 178 2010 398 377 3 918 7 187 2005 343 789 2 796 6 204 2000 311 149 2 246 5 072 1995 244 346 1 496 3 304 1990 131 978 1 326 2 717 1985 102 183 760 1 794 1978 38 950 816 935 Roger D. Buckland "6