In one of the most remote countries in the world, the Adventist Church is also one of the smallest denominations. Despite being outnumbered, young Adventists are actively involved in the mission of the Church.
Compared to other denominations, the Adventist Church represents a fraction of society—and its young people face significant challenges in their undertaking to spread the gospel to the unreached.
Approximately 58 per cent of I-Kiribati people are Catholic, with another 21 per cent belonging to the Kiribati Uniting Church. Just 2 per cent are Adventist, as the denomination arrived much later than the others and is still seen as “the new kid on the block”, according to Kiribati Mission youth director Leeden Aluta. Mr Aluta sees the work the young people do as a way to change the perception that the other denominations have towards Adventism. “If they see us as part of a worldwide family, then they will see us differently.”
The young people have taken this to heart and in a country where preaching initiatives are often not well received, they are reaching their community through humanitarian aid, environmental initiatives and music.
General Conference (GC) initiatives such as Global Youth Day and Adventurers Day represent an opportunity for young Adventists to engage in forms of outreach, such as giving food to people on the streets. They also play a large part in the free health screenings that 10,000 Toes offers the community. Many have been trained as ambassadors and are able to assist Kiribati Mission health director Teera Katarake during health screenings.
Environmental initiatives also introduce Adventism to the wider community. Trans Pacific Union Mission’s (TPUM) Walk4Life initiative has been adopted in tandem with beach cleanups. Also, groups of young Adventists recently planted 1000 mangrove pods—an important step in combating shoreline erosion and rising sea levels. “It’s good to get our young people to show our presence,” said Mr Aluta.
However, Mr Aluta acknowledged that music was the main way young people in Kiribati get involved. “I think that’s one of the gifts they have,” he explained. On Sabbath afternoons, groups regularly visit prisons and hospitals, as well as homes of church members, to sing. They also hand out Bible tracts and pray with people.
“This introduces people to who we are as Adventists,” said Mr Aluta. “It makes a big impact in how we connect with the community. I remember one of the patients at the hospital once asked another patient, ‘Who are these kids that are singing?’ And the other one said, ‘Oh, they’re the Adventist kids. They sing really well!’”
One project that has garnered much excitement from the Church and intrigue from the community has been the recording of a music album titled “Kiribati for Christ”.
“People can hear the gospel message through our singing,” said Kenny Charlie, a young woman from Tarawa, who has enjoyed being part of the recording.
Accompanying music videos have been filmed on the beaches and have garnered much attention on the Kiribati for Christ Facebook page. “A lot of non-Adventists were asking when it was going to come out,” said Mr Aluta. “I think this is a post-campaign tool that we can use to connect with people in Kiribati.” He added that some young people had said that participating in the album was one of “the most memorable moments of their lives”.
Many young people found taking part in the Kiribati for Christ campaign very fulfilling. In fact, Mr Aluta estimated that around 60 or 70 percent of those involved in the campaign were young people—and not just through music. Everything the youth do regularly—visitations, health screenings and beach cleanups—played a part in Kiribati for Christ, whether it be service to the community to build awareness, raising funds with rubbish bag collection or giving health talks. The media and livestreaming were also largely run by young people, assisted by two volunteers from the Solomon Islands Mission.
Tewiiti Aata, a young person from Tarawa, gave health talks at three different sites each night and helped with media. As the meetings were held at similar times each evening, he would travel from site to site, speaking and offering assistance where he could.
“God told us to go and make disciples,” he said. “Not only the pastors, not only the ministers, but also the youth and our young people.
“I want to encourage them [to] keep working for God.”
However, despite their involvement and willingness to serve, the youth movement in Kiribati continues to navigate various difficulties. “We don’t have enough people trained in youth ministry,” Mr Aluta explained. “We are still struggling to get proper Pathfinder and other youth programs running.”
He added that of Kiribati’s 33 islands and atolls, only Tarawa, Abemama and Kiritimati (Christmas Island) have an active youth ministry.
Another challenge is planning enough church events to draw young people away from some of the community activities not in line with Adventism. “It’s hard to compete with that,” said Mr Aluta. “We have to find a way to capture their interest.”
And while the perception that other denominations have towards Adventism needs to change, so does the young people’s perception of themselves. Mr Aluta explained how interactions between Adventists in Kiribati and Adventists in other countries were very limited, and that to see Adventists from other countries come during Kiribati for Christ impacted the way they saw their place as a part of the global Church.
“That sense of wider Church community is very important,” he said. “It has an impact on the way they see themselves as Adventists—that they have a big family out there in the world.”
Mr Aluta has big dreams for I-Kiribati young people. He envisions a vibrant youth movement connecting with the community on a deeper level. “I would also like to run a discipleship program after Kiribati for Christ,” he said. “To keep the high interest of our young people going. We want to do Bible studies—first care groups in the churches but then also in the community centre.”
He also wants to see more leaders. “I would like to see Adventist Youth Ministry in Kiribati have leaders trained in Master Guide and senior youth leadership,” he said. “And have them reach the outer islands and get youth involved there.”
Mr Aluta plans to implement more TPUM, South Pacific Division (SPD) and GC initiatives, such as OneVoice27, to connect with the broader Adventist Church. “I want to get them ready for next year,” he said, “Especially those who are into TikTok and other social media. We want to have a short training session for them in preparation.”
However, Mr Aluta’s final words were not about the young people in Kiribati. “I want to speak to our young people across the SPD,” he said, acknowledging that Kiribati’s young people have been a part of very few mission initiatives from other countries. “This is a very good place for mission trips.”
While the country’s islands are remote, it does not deter the Adventists there, who continue to look for ways to reach out to those who have never heard the gospel. “We still have a few islands with no Adventist presence,” said Mr Aluta, reiterating that support from those looking for mission opportunities would be welcome. “If you’re looking for a place to do ministry, come to Kiribati.”
If you’re interested in mission opportunities with Kiribati Mission youth ministries, contact Adventist Volunteer Services or Trans Pacific Union Mission youth director Steve Aquila.
Ashley Jankiewicz is an assistant editor for Adventist Record.
