A Young Preacher Was Baptized During the Campaign He Helped to Broadcast

Tewiiti Aata, a young preacher in Kiribati, helped broadcast sermons for people who could not attend Kiribati for Christ and was baptized during the two-week campaign in August 2026. He now helps lead Hope Channel Kiribati’s broadcasts, using skills he learned from the local team and the visiting Hope Channel Solomon Islands team.

Before the campaign, Aata had preached in two churches and was involved with the Bikenibeu congregation. “I have always wanted to take part in God’s work and use my time and talents to serve Him,” Aata said.

As a media volunteer, he joined Hope Channel Kiribati before the meetings began and helped with livestream setups as well as the broadcasts, according to Leeden Aluta, youth director for the Adventist Church in Kiribati.

International speakers preached the gospel of Jesus in Tarawa, Abemama, and Kiritimati from August 15 to 29. Organizers reported that 206 people chose to follow Jesus through baptism during the campaign.

“When I joined Kiribati for Christ, my role was to help with the livestreaming work so that people could watch and listen to the church programs,” Aata said. “It was a great responsibility because I was helping to share God’s message with people, including those who could not attend in person.”

The hardest part, he said, was making sure everything went well during the livestreams and staying focused throughout the programs. The experience taught him teamwork, patience, and responsibility. Aata described a change in how he understood the work he could do to share the gospel of Jesus.

“My faith grew stronger, and I became more confident in serving God,” he said. “I also realized that serving God is not only about preaching but also about using our different talents to support His work.” He was thankful for the opportunity, which helped him grow spiritually and encouraged him to keep serving God and sharing His love with others.

The Hope Channel Solomon Islands team taught Aata and other young volunteers alongside the local Hope Channel Kiribati team, Aluta said. Visiting audio and video specialists provided technical support during the campaign and helped teach the basics of livestreaming, through the collaboration between the two media teams that Hope Channel International covered in September.

Aata is taking a leading role in supporting Hope Channel Kiribati’s livestreams and recording music videos for youth groups. He continues to develop those skills with help from the Solomon Islands team. Aluta wanted the young people with an interest in media to receive further training and support for their work in ministry.

Other young volunteers provided music, decorated and set up stages, and distributed interest cards in communities near the meeting sites, Aluta said. He described their interest in ministry as something he wanted the church to nurture, through further opportunities to learn and serve.

Aluta also hoped more students and youth groups from the South Pacific and other countries would visit Kiribati. The campaign brought visitors together with local volunteers to give their time and resources. International speakers came to preach alongside the local people who helped organize and run the programs.

He said the experience helped people in Kiribati see themselves as part of “a big family” of Christians with a burden for the nations. Volunteers were set to support local preachers on the outer islands from late October into November, providing gospel music and helping with health activities.