Aloha Friends and Family,
It's been far too long since I have updated the blog to fill you all in on our life in Hawaii.
A lot has happened since last I wrote. Foremost among updates is the status of our employment at Baptist Collegiate Ministries here in Hilo. In mid-December the Big Island Baptist Association placed a request with the North American Mission Board for me to appointed as the USC2 missionary at the BCM. Shortly after the request was made, I received a phone call from NAMB stating that USC2 program was only designed for single graduates of college or seminary and that no provisions are made for married couples with children. I had been aware of the USC2 guidelines, but we had been assured by those who hired us that this would not be an issue as exceptions had been made in the past. Nevertheless, NAMB is holding to their bottom line regarding this situation.
Needless to say, Nikkie and I have had a lot of talking and praying to do considering our future in Hilo. The Big Island Baptist Association and Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention rely heavily upon their relationship with NAMB and the funding they receive from them for ministries like BCM. In light of this, Nikkie and I have decided that it would be in the best long-term financial interest of BIBA and HPBC to be able to fill the position of BCM director with someone who fits the guidelines NAMB has set for the program. That said, we have announced our resignation as directors of the BCM, effective the end of this academic year.
This decision did not come easy and was not made without much consideration of other options for staying. In the course of figuring out what the rejection of the request meant for us, we explored other possibilities for raising funds, seeking funds elsewhere, and going bi-vocational, but none seemed reasonable for our family situation and the timeline we are working with.
We have a lot of plans for this semester pertaining to outreach to the campus and leadership development among our current students, and are excited about what the semester holds. We know that the ministry here is bigger than both Nikkie and myself and trust that God will continue to change the lives of students in Hilo through BCM.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We will certainly need them in the coming weeks and months. Please be in prayer for our students as they get ready for a big transition and for their leadership in and through this ministry in the years to come.
Aloha,
Stephen, Nikkie and Abigail
