Six Pastors from the SSEC Churches in East Kwara'ae Association in Malaita are sailing to Australia in a yacht to attend a historic evangelistic crusade in Bundaberg in Queensland in Australia.

They are part of an estimated two hundred delegates which the SSEC is sending to attend the event.

The occasion has been arranged to mark the black birding period during which Solomon Islanders were taken to work as slave laborers in the Queensland sugar cane plantations.

It was during this period that a North Malaita man Peter Ambuofa brought back the Christian gospel to his home Island of Malaita an event that gave birth to one of the main churches in Solomon Islands, the South Sea Evangelical Church.

The yacht with the six pastors left this week and is expected to arrive in Bundaberg in time to attend the Evangelistic Crusade at Bundaberg scheduled to start on the 4th of October.

In an interview with the SSEC Head Office Secretary, Ms. Joyline Maina, told the National Express that traveling in the yacht is purposely to dramatize the black birding period out of which the SSEC was born and established.

She said that the event is being described as a flash back to events that gave rise to the history of the SSEC, a history which they call the shinning Light.

Ms Maina said that when the pastors arrived at Bundaberg they will put on a drama to show some aspects of the black birding trade and how Solomon Islands became involved in the process which resulted in the birth of SSEC in Solomon Islands.

Ms Maina said that other members of the delegation will be leaving today while the rest will be leaving on Saturday 28th. The program will start and run from 4th to 12th October.

She explained that the program will be an inter-denomination evangelistic Crusade which is expected to be attended by men, women, and youths throughout the world.

She said the program is being organized by the Bundaberg House of Prayer (BHOP) and the crusade has been an annual event.

Ms Maina said that this is because in the first week there will be the week long evangelistic crusade to be followed in the second week by a mission program to the Aboriginal people with a view of helping in the establishment of Christian churches in their communities.

She added that the SSEC Bundaberg House of Prayer usually organize prayer conferences, and this year it involves the Mission to the indigenous Aborigines and the evangelistic crusade including a time of prayer.


National Express