Rob Lloyd, the new executive secretary of the Hawaii Conference, firmly believes that life should not be lived in the doldrums, or stuck in ruts, and/or wanting more out of life yet lacking the incentive and imagination to change.
Instead, as he explained to his daughter why he would be willing to do things that younger people could do a lot easier, “Perhaps it is because I am crazy enough to do it. However, I think the real answer is that I am willing to accept God’s call. Yes, there are many people who could do better jobs than I can. Many. But I am willing to go wherever God wants me to go and do any job, no matter how difficult or menial or uncomfortable.“
This new position, which began March 1, is only part-time, because Lloyd is still pastoring the Kailua church on the windward side of Oahu, a position he has held for nearly 15 years. He accepted the call of the Hawaii executive committee when they felt a need for an executive secretary, but could not make it a full-time position.
How can he do both? The local head elder, Naomi Yamishero, explained that she felt the church would do just fine. “We are a church with strong local leaders. In fact, we have grown in membership, attendance, and tithe even when our pastor is very busy and often is gone on ShareHim evangelistic trips in different parts of the world. Not that we can do without him, but our members have had the opportunity to develop their talents and abilities, and we have even shared and benefited from the new emphasis and perspectives our pastor now brings to us.”
Ever since October 2001, when Lloyd went with a number of pastors from Hawaii to Venezuela to conduct what are now known as a ShareHim evangelistic campaigns, he become a firm believer in proclaiming the gospel to the whole world.
Lloyd’s work with the native Indian population on that first trip has inspired him to go on eight additional trips over the years. He has gone to Kenya and India twice, and also to Uganda, Bulgaria, Ghana and Papua. In addition, Robert Folkenberg of ShareHim has also asked Lloyd to be one of the campaign managers for six of these sites. World and local evangelism now is a burning passion for Lloyd.
“God can take our efforts and bring good from them," he says. "Both pastors and lay members should get involved, and see what God will do through you!”
In October, he accepted one of his most challenging ShareHim assignments yet. A village chief and his wife had become Adventists in a very remote part of Papua (a province of Indonesia). Although living in very primitive conditions up an 8,000 foot mountain, the chief sent an appeal for a missionary to come to his village and five surrounding ones to tell them about Jesus and health. Lloyd accepted the call to open up the work in this previously unentered area. It would require flying into one of the most dangerous places, landing on a wilderness airstrip, and then backpacking approximately five hours to the village.
Instead of just two Adventists, there are now 18. Lloyd's Kailua church members and others are helping to raise funds to build a pastor’s house and clinic in this village. You can read about this trip and his latest adventure to India on the Hawaii Conference website (hwic.netadventist.org) and clicking on “Missionary Letters.” The letters are inspirational, humorous, and would make for some good Sabbath reading about mission trip life.
This evangelism-focused pastor is now joining the officer team of the Hawaii Conference. President Ralph Watts III not only welcomes this missionary pastor, but also joins him in saying, “Go with God — go for God — and then you will discover adventure, excitement and fulfillment.”
