At the end of August, The Two Percent Ministry hosted the second annual DVELiP Leadership Conference at the La Mesa Community church, drawing more than 200 attendees from New Zealand, Canada, Hawaii, and other American states. The conference culminated with seven souls giving their lives to Christ, with plans for baptism at their local churches.
DVELiP is a first-of-its-kind, wholistic leadership program providing Pacific Islander and Indigenous communities and churches with resources for ministry. The DVELiP acronym stands for Discipleship, Vocation, Evangelism, Leadership, indigenous, and Preaching. The leadership conference featured workshops on these topics as well as a children’s program and an anointing service.
There were also keynote addresses by Robert Edwards, SECC vice president of Black ministries, and James Black, CEO/president of The DeVan Group Publishing and the Black Family Kingdom Business Network.
“We’ve never had a conference within the North American Division (NAD) specifically aimed at empowering our pastors, leaders, and youth from the Pacific Islands,” explained Meshach Soli, associate youth director, board chair, and co-founder of The Two Percent Ministry. “Our ministry provides a platform for Pacific Islander leaders of every generation to use their unique gifts to bless local churches and communities.”
In 2017, Soli noted that Native/Other represent a mere 2% of the NAD’s ethnic makeup—just 25,000 people in a division of more than 1.2 million. By 2020, The Two Percent Ministry was born with the help of Pastors Rome Ulia, Nemaia Faletogo, Abishai Aiolupotea, and Elizabeth Adams.
“This year’s conference was off the chain,” exclaimed Black. “God is about to do wonders through the two percent. Next year, my wife and I will sponsor 12 individuals who might not have access to this kind of learning opportunity. I’ve also committed to recruiting 100 attendees to join us for an incredible experience."
“We can appreciate our Polynesian culture and raise our children with a foundation in Jesus,” shared one conference attendee. “I hope this ministry continues to grow and creates a new future for our culture and heavenly mission.”
“God used Gideon and just 300 men,” said Soli. “In the same way, God can use the two percent to impact our indigenous churches and communities to be a blessing to the larger communities around us.”
Next year, Two Percent Ministry is taking DVELiP 2023 to Hawaii on Aug. 11-13, 2023. To learn more about The Two Percent Ministry and register for DVELiP 2023, visit thetwopercentpi.com.
____________________
By Danni Thaw
