On Sabbath 27 April, 210 teams each consisting of up to seven Pathfinders assembled at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois, to take part in the North American Division (NAD) Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) Division finals. Teams came from all Unions across America, Canada and the British Isles, with the British Union Conference (BUC) being the largest Union with 43 teams.
Approximately 4000 people were in attendance causing the NAD to hire another school hall and run a video link to the school hall as the venue could not accommodate everyone during the testing.
Now you probably wonder how well did the BUC teams do? and I would say that is a good question. But to answer it at this point would overshadow what this programme is all about. The PBE is not about who did better and who did worse. Neither is it about the pins you would receive or sponsorships that your club would get, but it is about helping our young people to study the Word of God and through that journey lead them to a closer relationship with Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Having said that, I am proud of how extremely well our Pathfinders did and how their diligence and sacrifices produced remarkable results. This all could not have happened without the dedication and hard work of all the BUC Pathfinder clubs, Conference and Mission Pathfinder directors and their coaches. Then there are the parents, guardians and pastors who recognise the importance of the PBE, and who support the young people along the journey.
I, personally, would like to thank, in no particular order, Pastor Njabulo King Ndlovu, Mthokozisi Bhebe-Ndlovu, Pastor Kevin Johns, Bogdan Stan, Pastor Ikwisa Mwasumbi and Pastor David Rancic, who with their leadership inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of our Pathfinders to take up this challenge and study the Word of God.
Now the journey continues for 2020 because the books for the next PBE testing are Ezra, Nehemiah, Jonah, Micah, Amos, Hosea with the following chapters excluded: Ezra 2, 8:1-14, 10:18-44; Nehemiah 7:7-63, 10:1-27, 11:3-12:26.
Not forgetting our Adventurers, they will focus only on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with the same exclusions as mentioned above.
Hopefully next year even more clubs will join us in studying God’s Word.
