Manns in Manokwari
What We Do
Erikson-Tritt Theological College
Isaac is teaching at Erikson-Tritt Theological College. This school has two departments, one training church leaders and another preparing teachers. Walter Erikson and Ed Tritt were the first two TEAM missionaries to West Papua in 1952 and were both martyred soon after arriving. Later that decade, missionaries who had followed in their footsteps founded the college.
Indonesian Christians have now assumed all administrative roles in the college. They invited Isaac to come and help teach and raise the quality of education they can provide.
Papuans come from different tribes all over the region to be trained at Erikson-Tritt. Approximately 200 students are enrolled each year. Teaching and discipling these students really can impact the church on this island. Because college graduates are rare in remote tribes, some graduates return to be the leaders of not only the local church but their entire community.
Making Disciples
While Erikson-Tritt provides the institutional reason to go to Manokwari, our real goal is to disciple Papuans. This happens through the college but also through every part of our lives here, be it church, kid's school and their friends, our neighbors, and anyone we come in contact with.
Our hope is that as we make disciples in Manokwari, those men and women will go back home or abroad and make disciples there as well. In our eyes, Manokwari isn't the end of our ministry; it's only the beginning.