The first Pacific Island national to serve as a senior administrator at the South Pacific Division (SPD), has died in the Solomon Islands, months after receiving the New Year’s Honours for his services to the Seventh-day Adventist Church internationally and at home.
Pastor Lawrence Gilmore Pita Tanabose, 73, passed March 17 at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. He was buried March 19 in a ceremony at Betikama Adventist College attended by government officials, church representatives, family and friends.
Pastor Tanabose was SPD Secretary from 2008–2014 and served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for 37 years in a range of pastoral, educational and senior administrative roles across the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Australia. His service included leadership positions at mission, union and division levels within the Church.
He was instrumental in the amalgamation of three missions into the Solomon Islands Mission and was also first secretary of the Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM), formed in 2000, before becoming TPUM president in 2005.
Another of his key contributions was his involvement in brokering peace during the Solomon Islands ethnic conflict between 1998 and 2003, when church leaders worked alongside community and government representatives during negotiations between Guadalcanal and Malaita groups.
Although he retired in 2015, he stayed active in evangelism on his home island of Choiseul, and was called out of retirement for a time to lead the Solomon Islands Mission.
“He continued supporting church work as a retired pastor until his physical and mental strength would not allow him to carry on,” his son, Gilmore said. “Dad was a man of action during his ministry and service in church work. His ministry truly reflect s a servant’s heart and a steady commitment to caring for others in both everyday moments and more formal roles.”
Recently appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2026 New Year’s Honours—approved by King Charles III and announced by Sir David Tiva Kapu—Pastor Tanabose received the honour with gratitude and humility. “It is a privilege to be recognised in this way, and I do so on behalf of my family, the many colleagues, communities, institutions and partners with whom I had the opportunity to serve over the course of my 37 years of ministry,” he said.
Church leaders, past and present have paid tribute to the contributions Pastor Tanabose made across the Pacific region.
“It was a privilege to work closely with Pastor Lawrence Tanabose in a number of different capacities for over 30 years,” said former SPD president Dr Barry Oliver. “He was a close colleague, a dear friend and a brother in Christ. He was a warm pastor and a capable administrator—a greater asset for our church than most people will ever realise. Julie and I shared many happy times together with Rosina and Lawrence both in our work and on a personal level. We are missing them both very much but look forward more that ever to the great resurrection morning.”
Dr Brad Kemp, CEO of Adventist Media, worked closely with Pastor Tanabose during his time at SPD. “Lawrence Tanabose was my boss, mentor and friend. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work closely with him and to observe a man of God at work—came through in the way he dealt with people, situations, and the way he worked with me. He had a clear vision of what needed to be done and a heart for seeing the work of God advance, particularly in the Pacific.”
According to former SPD treasurer Rodney Brady, Pastor Tanabose “left a big legacy, through his nurture of the next generation of leaders in the Pacific who looked up to him and through his vision for a single Solomon Island Mission. He was the main driver in achieving that goal.”
While he achieved many historic things in administration, Pastor Tanabose never lost his love for evangelism and preaching. “[That] was his first love,” said Mr Brady. “He loved preparing for those. He was a careful steward for the Church, very honest and faithful in his personal and church responsibilities.”
“Lawrence was an astute spiritual leader, focused on prayer and relationships,” said SPD president Pastor Glenn Townend. “He read people and situations well. His leadership during the Solomon Islands tribal crisis is legendary. Courage and compassion, and standing for what was right were exemplified in his life.”
Outside of his church work, Pastor Tanabose had a creative streak, drawing, sketching and painting murals and posters for evangelistic campaigns. He was also a prolific blood donor throughout his life, receiving a medal for being one of the top donors in the Pacific.
Born in Papua New Guinea as a child of missionaries, Pastor Tanabose lived in many places across the SPD and served the cause of mission his whole life. He was predeceased by his wife, Rosina, in May 2025. The couple met at Fulton where Lawrence was studying Theology and Rosina was studying education. Rosina was from Vanuatu and stayed beside her husband in ministry across multiple calls and ministry posts. The couple are survived by six children and five grandchildren, and a large extended family.
