Sunset International Studies Division

1/ Winston Bolt, a Sunset alumnus, had gone to Indonesia immediately after his graduation in 1987. After working in several locations in the early nineties he began a new work on the Island of Batam with the sponsorship of Pasir Pajan church in Singapore. He saw the pressing need to train sound evangelists for all of Indonesia. There had been a history of ministry training in Indonesia and Four Seas College in Singapore, all becoming sterile and largely fruitless.

2/ Bolt appealed to Sunset to join him in beginning a school in Batam, signing an agreement in October 1997. Charles Cook was largely responsible for persuading Sunset to focus its initial energies in Batam rather than Jakarta. He became the Mission Coordinator.

3/ The school began in February 1998 with a six month curriculum, followed by six months of praticum in a local church before a second level was taught consisting of another six months of instruction.

4/ Winston Bolt taught all of the core courses supplemented by Sunset video tapes being translated by Andrew Banjanahor in Lubbock. Mail Banjanahor taught all of the practicum courses.

5/ Visiting instructors added to the curriculum. Charles Cook was the first visiting instructor, followed by Gerald Paden, Ed Wharton and Andrew Banjanahor.

6/ The school began with six students and over the years has grown to fifteen students from most parts of Indonesia. Its graduates are already working with new congregations.

7/ The school has been meeting in the small congregational building in cramped surroundings. Plans for building a new facility began with the purchase of property in a developing area of the island. Funds are being raised to construct a school facility.

8/ Duane Morgan became the Mission Coordinator when Charles Cook assumed the responsibilities of Focus Northwest and began raising funds for the operation of the school.

9/ Through Morgan relationships were developed with Lake Jackson, TX leaders and an agreement was signed to establish Sunset Satellite Schools throughout the island. Bob Jackson conducted a certification seminar for thirty-two facilitators at the school. Since then Morgan has led in establishing fifteen satellite schools using the Sunset materials translated by Banjanahor and has certified additional facilitators.

10/ Truman Scott has visited the school on three trips. One trip included stops throughout Java and to Medan, Sumatra.

11/ The school hosted the Asia Missions Workshop in 2000.

12/ Steve Cates became the Mission Coordinator in 2002, relieving Morgan whose evangelistic work had become greatly demanding.

13/ Andrew Banjanahor finishes four years of studies in the States, returning to Indonesia in the summer 2002 to begin working with the Medan congregation and teaching in the school.

14/ In the Fall 2002, B.J. Pasaribu is scheduled to come to the states for up to two years of instruction in view of returning to teach fulltime in the school.