To the south in the vast rolling Pacific Ocean, there is a work that has blossomed and grown over the last ten years in the spreading of God’s Word in the South Pacific region.
Based in New Zealand, the ministry of Hope International New Zealand is producing material for the souls in our home country, as well as in Australia, the Pacific Islands, and Indonesia and Malaysia, where our work is just beginning.
New Zealand lies to the South East of Australia approximately 3500 km (2300 miles), and is made up of two main islands, North and South island. Each island is about 1600 km (1000 miles) long. The rest of the country consists of a quantity of small islands. New Zealand has a population of 3.4 million.
Our ministry has been functioning for 10 years, having its roots in our home here in Rangiora, South Island. We started when a couple leaving for Australia, gave us about six cartons of books, two cartons contained inexpensive Great Controversy books. Having no idea what to do with them at this stage, we left them in a closet under the stairs. About a year later, Elder Ron Spear came through New Zealand on one of his first preaching tours and stirred us into action, recommending that we get more of these inexpensive books from Vance Ferrel and make them available to our people here in our country. We duly pulled our two cartons out from under the stairs, plus shipped in more sets from overseas and typed out a one page newsletter to let people know that we had these books available. This letter was sent to 47 people that we were sending the Anchor magazine to at that time. From here, the ministry started to grow, now 650 people receive the newsletter in New Zealand and that number swells to 1000 when we send it overseas.
The ministry still functions from our home as a home-base. We now have seven staff working here full-time:
Peter Hitchens and Damon Hurley work on the computers preparing material for printing.
Keith Stirling operates our printing press and other equipment.
Jason Cooper manages the stocking of shelves, and the receiving of stock from overseas. He also prepares catalogues, and manages the production of material from the computers/press.
Madelene Hurley is our receptionist/secretary, her job includes processing incoming and outgoing mail, copying video and audio tapes, taking incoming phone calls, and keeping the accounts current
Peter Henham is out on the doors and on the streets doing medical missionary literature work and open air street preaching. He also gives Bible studies in the evenings and where he can during the day.
My duties involve planning for camp-meetings and outreach meetings, plus the general running of home-base. I also travel throughout New Zealand, visiting homechurch groups, taking a few meetings, arranging speakers for homechurch group meetings, and generally encouraging our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Evan Sadler is part of the team here too, not so much in the physical working aspect here at home-base, but more in the evangelistic side, traveling abroad and throughout our own country.
The main thrust of our ministry is to supply literature both for Seventh-day Adventists and the general public. As well as Bibles, we have literature on many different topics including: health, homeschooling, video and audio tapes, and books by SDA authors.
We also prepare and print tracts and booklets for outreach in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Currently we are producing one sheet tri-fold tracts on many subjects including: health, prophecy, conversion, and Protestant history. We are also printing booklets on various topics. These booklets and tracts are prepared in English and several Pacific Island languages, so that we can reach into the village areas as well as main cities.
The ministry continues to grow. It is hard to keep up with the demand for materials, but the work is rewarding and encouraging as we see souls touched, both inside and outside the church, as a result of our efforts. God has richly blessed the small work here in this country and our prayer is that souls will be saved for His wonderful Kingdom, soon to become a reality.
We encourage all to keep the vision of a finished work. “Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:8.