Bible college making an impact

FAITH

By HELEN TARAWA
THE School of the Holy Spirit Bible College was established under the Debeini’s Living Water (DLW) Ministry in 2000.
DLW founder and senior pastor Peter Solomon had a vision for a nationwide ministry and needed to raise spiritual sons and daughters who would stand with him to carry out the mission.
Hence the School of the Holy Spirit Bible College was initiated at Gomora Crest, Section 393 Lot 5, Gerehu Stage 1 in the National Capital District.
It was mainly for the “children of the house” as Papa Pastor put it. However, the impact on the graduates’ lives had resulted in people from outside being drawn to the school.
“The graduates promoted the college and that’s where we started getting people from all over PNG.”
As the school expanded those who graduated went and encouraged others to attend. Word got around and men and women flocked in to be part of this programme.
A father with a big heart Solomon accepted the students from other provinces. So far over 1,000 students have graduated from the college.
“We had a vision and in 2008 we launched our mission statement, Vision 2020 Evangelism and Church Planting,” Solomon said.
“We have been trying to expand by establishing the ministry in every provincial township.
“I have been heavily involved in the bible college trying to train and build young pastors in preparation for taking over and looking after provinces.
“For example in East Sepik we want to start a church in Wewak, in West Sepik we want to build a church in Vanimo, etc. It has been challenging trying to find land in each of the provinces but we have gradually made progress. Right now we are preparing to go to Kavieng. We have and there but we are waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic period to be over before we can commence work.
“Vision 2020 ends in December and we have not successfully achieved it but we will seek God’s direction as to where we will expand the vision to 2030 or 2050.
“We will start to take things a little bit differently, come up with new dreams as to how we can affect our country in a big way.
“Right now we are heavily involved in evangelism and church planting,” he said.

An apostle
Solomon, an apostle with a pioneering spirit, got his leaders together and put up a proposal for an iconic church building to replace the make shift one that they were using for the church services.
He tried all options and even approached commercial banks but they all turned him down. He took the plan with him to a big conference in Australia in the hope to find answers.
While he was in the middle of a prayer meeting, he heard his name being called three times, just like Samuel (1 Sam 3).
God spoke to him to return home because there was money (for the church building) in PNG and not Australia.
“If God said it I believe it and that settles it,” he said
Solomon returned and told all his leaders that they would have to pray and wait upon the Lord. And this is the “tumbuna” story of how God brought a Chinese businessman to build the church using his own funds in 2003 and the church has since repaid the total cost of K1 million.
“I started the school of the Holy Spirit because since starting a new ministry I needed pastors who are trained to help me support the ministry.
“I decided to start the school so I can build my own Christians or spiritual sons and daughters who would be able to stand with me and support me in the vision.”
Solomon said there were about 140 first graduates, most of them now serving God in the ministry.
“I feel in my heart to train up my own children like Paul in the New Testament talking to Timothy and Titus. They were like his sons in the faith so I have decided to train my own children where they can understand me as we move together in the ministry.
“Even today I have lots of pastors who are looking after churches throughout the country who have been trained in the bible college in Gerehu.
“We have trained thousands of people and those who have come through this school including people from different church backgrounds or coverings such as United Church, Salvation Army, Lutheran Church, Catholic,

Seventh-Day Adventist, Pentecostals and Evangelical Alliance.
“This school is open to any body. It’s a three month-course which we starts in March and ends in May. We graduate people on the last Sunday of May with a certificate and we send them home. For the next nine months they do their practical under their pastors or priests and they come back for another three months the following year.
“We run the programme over three years but for three months every year so it’s a total of nine months.
“The second years receive their advanced certificate while the third year students graduate with a diploma.
“God gets the glory. I have trained people from the mainline churches and I have seen the impact on their ministry, especially in the United Church youths and pastors.
“I can safely say this, history has been created here. Young people from the United Church would only be addressed as reverend if they had graduated from their own bible college which is Rarongo Theological College in East New Britain. However, after graduating from this bible college they have been ordained with the title of reverend or minister
“I’ve got two of my boys who have graduated from the bible college and are serving as “reverend” in the United Church. Another is serving as deputy principal of the United Church Bible College in Kavieng.
The school also enrols people in the public service as well as the private sector.
“We’ve got policemen, soldiers and correctional service (CS) officers who have come and trained. They get special permission from their superiors to attend college.”
Solomon said the highest ranking officer that attended the bible college was a chief inspector of the police force. Another officer who attended is the chaplain at Bomana Prison.
“These are some of the achievements of the bible college. There are many other stories that only God knows.
“We have Christians from everywhere who come and blend in so well. There is harmony at the school as they support each other, stand together and pray for the supernatural.
“Even today I’m so happy that the school has produced pastors and made my job much easier. I’m also training my pastors here in preparation to step outside of PNG.
“I’ve already started a ministry in Australia in 2014 so I’ve got Christians in Australia and I’m training my pastors to take on the challenge in pastoring churches in Australia as well as the islands of the Pacific.
“If Jesus doesn’t come back quickly then praise God. Only He knows what we are planning to do,” he said.

Blessing in disguise
This year the school started in March at the time when the coronavirus pandemic hit and there was a total lockdown for two weeks.
Solomon said 20-plus students from Central were sent home while the rest of the students remained.
“After two weeks, we started sending the message out to people to return to school. Central students couldn’t make it back due to the road blocks.
“This year we graduated about 60 students in spite of Covid-19 and that was good. The programme was different; we saw a lot of things that God had blessed the school with.
“For example, the main food for the students is rice and tinned fish. This year the students had chicken from the start of the school until it closed at the end of May.
“That was how God manifested His presence and power at the school. Thank God coronavirus came because it also brought blessings for us. We want to give God all the praise, all the glory and honour.
“During the Covid-19 state of emergency we maintained social distancing. We had three classes but we had to maintain health and hygiene. We ensured all students washed their hands often and had to abide by the rules of the Government.
“When we continued church services we also maintained social distancing which was easier for us to do. All the students understood so everything flowed well. We saw God’s hand at work through the school because we had Christians bringing in food for the students.
“Those who come to the school are not just young people but pastors, fathers, mothers, grandmothers and public servants. That has made the school an amazing place where we blend in together people with experience mingling with youths.
“By the time everyone leaves they learn to speak the same language. The Word of God is the main thing that we teach the students.”
Solomon said the college was called the School of the Holy Spirit because a lot of the emphasis was placed on the Holy Spirit.
“A lot of things can be done by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The Holy Spirit is the master key that unlocks a lot of things that we need from God.
“The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our helper and if you can only know the Holy Spirit, your ministry becomes much easier,” he said.
Boarding students at the college pay K1500 while day students pay K500 for the three months course.
If you feel the call of God upon your life and you want to go to a bible college, School of the Holy Spirit is one of the best in PNG.
“A lot of people who have attended this school have never been the same again,” the founder said.
“We spend a lot of time teaching the students about the Holy Spirit and what the anointing (ability) can do for you.
“Once you download the things of the spirit it will open up so many things.
“If you believe that God has called you I would encourage you to come. We will start on March 1, 2021. ”