Partnering in Missions  

Liebenzell missionaries first came to the island nation of Palau, (about 850 miles – 1370km – southwest of Guam) in 1929. It took some time before an infant church was established. Through the years, the relationship between the Mission and the Palauan Evangelical Church has had its share of ups and down as both parent and child moved through the delicate dance of growing up and letting go. Recently, Mission and church leaders gathered in Palau to meet as equals – partners – in the task of world evangelism.

Missionary Steve Stinnette calls this an “answer to over 30 years of prayer and labor.” The Palauan Evangelical Church has it as their goal to send its first full-time missionary to Papua, Indonesia, in 2014. “We spent nine hours in meetings listening to the national church leaders share their vision and plan for establishing a mission sending branch here in Micronesia,” reports Steve. “What was most exciting was that this was not us ‘westerners’ pushing our agenda onto them, but rather what seemed to be their genuine Spirit-led response to the inner stirrings of God among them as leaders.”

Steve’s new role in Micronesia is as a missions mobilizer; toward that end, he’ll be making three to four trips a year from Guam to Palau, and staying for about a month at a time. “My new role will be as a mentor and consultant to the church leaders there. The goal is not for this to be a single event, but to become a process where many will be sent. I will help prepare the church and missionary candidates as they are identified.”

Steve asks for your prayers as this process unfolds in the coming months. “I will need to find temporary housing, as well as a car to use while I’m there.” He is also hoping that his wife Anne and get some time away from her work at Pacific Islands University in Guam to accompany him on some of the trips.