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You are here: Home / Animistic World / I Don’t Want to Sit on the Sidelines

I Don’t Want to Sit on the Sidelines

By Frank Johnson on May 23, 2020 0

Zechariah Cunningham in Vanuatu
Photo courtesy of Zechariah Cunningham. Used by permission (personal correspondence).

When Zechariah Cunningham played football in high school, he trained as hard as he could so that he would be assured that he would not sit on the sidelines when it came time for games.

Listen to Bryan Webb, Assemblies of God World Missions Area Director for Pacific Oceania, describe a recent conversation he had with Zechariah about how that same type of commitment plays out in Zechariah’s walk with Jesus:

https://hesed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BryanWebbonZechariahCunningham3.mp4

Zechariah doesn’t want to spend his days on the “sidelines of life.” The “field” where Zechariah wants to stand now is no longer a footfall field – instead, he wants to stand on the “field” of Tanna Island in the nation of Vanuatu. The outcome he desires to “contest” is no longer a football game – instead, he desires to spend his life to spread the glory of Jesus to the nations and contest the outcome of a battle for the souls of the men, women, and children of Tanna Island.

Where is Tanna Island?
The nation of Vanuatu is an archipelago consisting of over 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,090 miles east of northern Australia.

Location of Vanuatu Within Oceania
Photo courtesy of onestopmap. Used by permission.

The islands are generally small (the largest, Espiritu Santo, has an approximate area of 1,525 square miles) and are volcanic in origin. In fact, there are several active volcanoes (including several that are underwater) in Vanuatu. The islands are generally a mix of rugged mountainous areas, high plateaus, and narrow coastal plains. With a tropical climate, many of the islands are covered by dense rainforest but there are some drier regions with patches of savanna grassland. Although there are about nine months of rainy season, deforestation of many of the islands’ upland watersheds are leading to an increasing scarcity of fresh water.

Location of Tanna Island Within Vanuatu
Photo courtesy of The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency. Public domain.
The island of Tanna is located in the southernmost area of Vanuatu. It is 25 miles long and 12 miles wide, with an overall surface area of 212 square miles. Its highest point is Mount Tukosmera at 3,556 feet. The much smaller Mount Yasur is an active volcano on the southeast coast of Tanna that has been erupting nearly continuously (often several times an hour) for several hundred years.

Tanna Island Needs Jesus
While nearly 46% of the population of Vanuatu as a whole is evangelical (and 94% self-identify as Christian), the island of Tanna is one of several islands where pockets of traditional ethnic religion – including what is known as kastom (custom), taboos, and cargo cults – still remain. In these areas, Christian influence meets with strong resistance. In fact, Tanna has a smaller proportion of Christians among its approximately 40,000 residents than any of the other inhabited islands of Vanuatu.

Sam and Lisa Paris are Assemblies of God missionaries who have just started their second term of service on Tanna. They have significant goals for the expansion of ministry to the people of Tanna, and they are excited that Zechariah has committed to an initial two-year term working alongside them in ministry. Zechariah has previous experience and a skill set which are crucial for the work on Tanna to bring the love of Jesus to these resistant peoples.

Zechariah’s Experience and Skill Set
He previously spent nine months in Vanuatu in 2017-2018 working alongside Sam and Lisa as a MAPS volunteer. So he is familiar with the island’s culture. According to Sam and Lisa, Zechariah made such a favorable impression on the villagers that they still talk about him two years later and ask daily when he will be back!

About 70% of the population of Tanna is made up of youth and children. Zechariah will be drawing on his experience with youth ministry in the United States to work with the Assemblies of God youth pastors in Vanuatu to help reach the next generation of youth.

Zechariah Cunningham Preaching in Vanuatu
Photo courtesy of Serve Live Love. Used by permission (personal correspondence).

The island of Tanna, like any island, depends largely on rainfall for its fresh water supply. Periodic droughts can lead to crop failure, death of livestock, and health issues among the population. For subsistence farmers, the absence of fresh, clean water can be devastating. Villages which have a water well, however, are better equipped to cope with periods of drought.

In addition to his youth ministry experience, Zechariah is trained in the drilling of water wells, and this type of development work often provides an open door for the gospel in villages which are otherwise resistant to Christianity. Zechariah will be working with local villagers to drill much needed wells and will participate in the evangelistic outreaches which these projects enable.

Drilling Water Wells in Vanuatu
Photo courtesy of Zechariah Cunningham. Used by permission (personal correspondence).

Finally, the missionary team in Tanna has plans to build several projects:

  1. the Tanna Mission Center will house missionary families and missionary associates, a school and office, and space for workshops and training;
  2. the Tafea Bible and Leadership Training Center will provide a facility for training indigenous pastors and leaders to reach Tanna and beyond for Christ;
  3. clinics will provide medical care for residents of the island; and,
  4. schools will provide education for the children of the island.

Zechariah has building experience which will play a vital role in these construction projects.

Zechariah’s experience in youth ministry, water well drilling, and construction make him a perfect fit for the missionary team on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu.

Let’s Be a Part of Zechariah’s Team!
Here are four ways you can be a part of Zechariah’s team and the growing missionary team on Tanna:

  • You can pray for him on an ongoing basis. The best way to stay informed of his prayer needs is by following his ministry on Facebook.
  • You can give to Zechariah’s ministry financially by signing up to support him on a monthly basis or to contribute a one-time gift at his online giving page.
  • You can consider starting the process to join Zechariah and Sam and Lisa in the work in Vanuatu. At the time of this writing, there are several opportunities to serve with the Assemblies of God mission in Vanuatu. Why not explore those opportunities (if you click on one of the Details buttons, you can explore the opportunity further and then click on the Contact button and fill out the resulting form to be put in touch with someone who can guide you through the process)?
  • If you are a pastor or missions leader in your church, we would encourage you to get in touch with Zechariah to see how he might be able to encourage your people for the cause of Christ in Tanna and also to find out how you can be of service to him.

COUNTRIES IN THIS ARTICLE: Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
WORKERS IN THIS ARTICLE: Zechariah Cunningham, Sam and Lisa Paris, Bryan and Renee Webb

Related Resources

John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides: An Autobiography. In his autobiography, John G. Paton narrates his eventful life as a missionary to the New Hebrides – modern-day Vanuatu – in a frank and vivid manner. Paton offers a tense and sometimes shocking narrative as he spends years in constant danger while remaining heartily certain of God’s blessing and righteous will.


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About Frank Johnson

Frank is a 1985 graduate of Bethany College in Scotts Valley, California (B.S. Ministerial Studies) and a licensed minister with the Northern California and Nevada District Council of the Assemblies of God. Frank has been an internet strategist for over 20 years, applying principles of digital media strategy to spread the gospel. In addition, he is the author of Find A Job Through A Temporary Service, “Bringing in the Outcast” (under pen name, John Norman) in Issue 43 (January 1, 1988) of Discipleship Journal, and numerous articles in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

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Helpful Resources

Scroll through each of the panels below to discover books and products specifically curated for those with an interest in bringing the news of Jesus' love to the people of Vanuatu.

 
Christianity and Vanuatu
christianity and vanuatu
 
  • Sons of Cannibals: And More Tales from Vanuatu, by Bryan Webb
  • Hungry Devils: And Other Tales from Vanuatu, by Bryan Webb
  • Melanesians and Missionaries, by Darrell L. Whiteman
  • Gender, Christianity and Change in Vanuatu: An Analysis of Social Movements in North Ambrym, by Annelin Eriksen
  • John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides: An Autobiography, by John Gibson Paton
  • Life of John Coleridge Patteson: Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands, by Charlotte M. Yonge
 
 
Language Learning: Bislama and More
language learning: bislama and more
 
  • Bislama Reference Grammar (English and Bislama Edition), by Terry Crowley
  • A New Bislama Dictionary (Updated Version), by Terry Crowley
  • An Illustrated Bislama - English and English - Bislama Dictionary, by Terry Crowley
  • Beach-la-Mar to Bislama: The Emergence of a Natural Language in Vanuatu, by Terry Crowley
  • Kwamera (Languages of the World/Materials), by Lamont Lindstrom and John Lynch
  • Futuna-Aniwa Dictionary, with Grammatical Introduction, by Arthur Capell
  • A Grammar of Unua (Pacific Linguistics), by Elizabeth Pearce
  • The Languages of Pentecost Island, by Andrew Gray
  • A Grammar of Lenakel (Pacific Linguistics), by John Lynch
  • A Grammar of Neve'ei, Vanuatu, by Jill Musgrave
  • A Dictionary of the Mele Language (Atara Imere), Vanuatu, by Ross Clark
  • A Grammar of Mavea: An Oceanic Language of Vanuatu, by Valérie Guérin
  • A Grammar of South Efate: An Oceanic Language of Vanuatu, Dr. Nicholas Thieberger
  • A Grammar of Vures, Vanuatu (Pacific Linguistics), by Catriona Malau
  • A Descriptive Grammar of Merei (Vanuatu), by Ying Shing Anthony Chung
  • A Grammar of Neverver (Mouton Grammar Library, by Julie Barbour
  • Tamambo, the Language of West Malo, Vanuatu, by Dorothy G. Jauncey
  • Nese: A Diminishing Speech Variety of Northwest Malakula (Vanuatu), by Terry Crowley
 
 
Vanuatu History, Archaeology, Etc.
vanuatu: history, anthropology, etc.
 
  • The Other Side: Ways of Being and Place in Vanuatu, by John Patrick Taylor
  • The Aroma of Vanuatu: Four Years of Adventures in the South Pacific, by Mercedes Lopez-Tomlinson
  • The Coconut War: Vanuatu and the Struggle for Independence, by Richard Shears
  • House-Girls Remember: Domestic Workers in Vanuatu, edited by Margaret Rodman Critchlow, Daniela Kraemer, Lissant Bolton, and Jean Tarisesei
  • Working Together in Vanuatu: Research Histories, Collaborations, Projects and Reflections, by John Taylor and Nick Thieberger
  • Anthropology Field Guide For Vanuatu, by Kenneth Nehrbass
  • Sounds of Secrets: Field Notes on Ritual Music and Musical Instruments on the Islands of Vanuatu, by Raymond Ammann
  • An Archaeology of Early Christianity in Vanuatu: Kastom and Religious Change on Tanna and Erromango, 1839–1920, by James L. Flexner
  • Development Impacts Of Short-Term Migration In The Pacific: A Case Study Of Vanuatu, by Ronald Ravinesh Kumar
  • Women in Vanuatu: Analyzing Challenges to Economic Participation, by Chakriya Bowman, Jozefina Cutura, Amanda Ellis, and Clare Manuel
  • Person and Place: Ideas, Ideals and Practice of Sociality on Vanua Lava, Vanuatu, by Sabine Hess
  • Artifak: Cultural Revival, Tourism, and the Recrafting of History in Vanuatu, by Hugo DeBlock
  • Ethnology of Vanuatu: An Early Twentieth Century Study, by Felix Speiser
  • Arts of Vanuatu, edited by Joel Bonnemaison, Kirk Huffman, Christian Kaufman, and Darrell Tryon
  • Nokonofo Kitea (We Keep on Living This Way): Myths and Music of Futuna, Vanuatu, by Janet Dixon Keller and Takaronga Kuautonga
  • Unfolding the Moon: Enacting Women's Kastom in Vanuatu, by Lissant Bolton
  • The Power of Perspective: Social Ontology and Agency on Ambrym Island, Vanuatu, by Knut Mikjel Rio
  • If Everyone Returned, The Island Would Sink: Urbanisation and Migration in Vanuatu, by Kirstie Petrou
  • Social Policies in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, by Birman Chand Prasad and Paul Kausimae
 
 
Maps, Posters, and Flags of Vanuatu
maps, posters, and flags of vanuatu
 
  • 36" x 24" Vanuatu & New Caledonia Laminated Wall Map
  • 36" x 24" Vanuatu and New Caledonia Canvas Wall Map
  • Waterfall over Moss Covered Cliff Tanna Island Vanuatu Poster Print
  • 34" x 26" Port Resolution Santo Island Vanuatu Poster Print
  • 12" x 18" Framed Port Vila as "Home Sweet Home" Poster
  • Vanuatu Nylon Flags
  • Vanuatu Mounted Flags
 
 
Vanuatu Fun!
vanuatu fun!
 
  • Set of 4 Vanuatu Refrigerator Magnets — Vanuatu Flag Magnet, Vanuatu Map Magnet, and Two Vanuatu Scenery Magnets
  • 11-Ounce "Vanuatu is a Must" White Ceramic Coffee Mug
  • Silver Toned Etched Vanuatu Flag Pendant Keychain
  • Silver Toned Etched Vanuatu Flag Tie Tack
  • Silver Toned Etched Vanuatu Flag Pendant Necklace
  • 12" Vanuatu Flag Vinyl Sticker / Waterproof Decal
 

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Sidebar Image Credits
Vanuatu and Christianity header courtesy of Wolfgang Reindl. Used by permission. Language Learning Bislama header courtesy of Graham Crumb. Used by permission. Vanuatu History, Anthropology, Etc. header courtesy of National Maritime Museum, London. Public domain. Vanuatu Maps, Posters, & Flags header courtesy of Eric Gaba. Used by permission. Vanuatu Fun header courtesy of ITU Pictures. Cropped and used by permission.

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Our Daily Declaration

Lord Jesus,

This day, we cast our souls upon Your sacrifice as our only hope for purpose, meaning, and fulfillment here on earth and for life in the age to come.

This day, we swear allegiance to You, our King.

This day, we pray that You would set our hearts aflame for Your cause and for the over 3 billion people in this world who have yet to hear Your name.

We long for the day that we will stand before Your throne, surrounded by the most diverse community ever formed — from every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation — those whom You have purchased with Your blood — as we cry out together “Worthy is the Lamb!”

Until that day, we commit ourselves to loving our brothers and sisters in Christ — no matter what their people group, no matter what their language, no matter what their race, no matter where they are from — and to living in community with them — that the world may know that the Father loves them and that He sent You to save them.

This day, we devote our lives — our time, our money, our passion, our mind, our strength, our everything — to see Your gospel proclaimed in every corner of this world.

And we thank You for the astounding privilege of playing a small part in carrying Your name to the nations!

Pray for the Tsukuba Express Church Planting Team

Tsukuba Express Line

  1. Please pray for the areas surrounding these twenty rail stations: Akihabara, Shin-Okachimachi, Asakusa, Minami-Senju, Kita-Senju, Aoi, Rokucho, Yashio, Misato-chuo, Minami-Nagareyama, Nagareyama-centralpark, Nagareyama-otakanomori, Kashiwanoha-campus, Kashiwa-Tanaka, Moriya, Miraidaira, Midorino, Bampaku-kinenkoen, Kenkyu-gakuen, and Tsukuba
  2. Pray that God would raise up church planters and send forth laborers into the harvest fields surrounding these stations (Luke 10:2-4).
  3. Pray that God would help these church planters identify persons of peace in the areas surrounding these stations (Luke 10:5-8).
  4. Pray that God would enable these church planters to speak the word of God with boldness in these areas (Luke 10:9b).
  5. Pray that the proclamation of God’s word in the areas surrounding these stations would be accompanied by demonstrations of God’s compassion and power (Luke 10:9a).