Pastor Kevin Inafuku was back to speak at Summit Meetings 2026. His friend Kelson was along this time to experience Harvest and ministry in the Pacific.
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Episode Transcript
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is Pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor of Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We have two services at Harvest every Sunday, the first at 08:45AM, the second at 10:45AM. We have Japanese and Korean translation during that second service at 10:45AM.
That’s also the service we broadcast live at hbcguam.org, hbcguam.org. This week, we’re coming back to Mark 11:13-17 on Pray First. Let’s begin today’s Harvest Time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton. Hi, pastor.
Gary Walton: Hey. Hafa adai, Chris. Mark 11, we’re coming back to actually our theme verse for the year. We introduced two Sundays ago, our theme of pray first and spent some time finishing up in Acts chapter one that kind of led us to that idea. But we’ve actually put up on our banners this idea that my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the people.
And that comes from Mark chapter 11, which actually comes from the book of Ezekiel. And so we’re gonna back up into that this Sunday and lay that groundwork for, you know, it’s interesting, this verse doesn’t say my house shall be called a house of preaching, and it doesn’t say my house shall be called a house of fellowship. We believe in those things. They’re clearly a part of what, you know, the New Testament church is supposed to be about. But when Jesus talked about it, he said, My house should be called a house of prayer.
And, we want to make that a priority and a primary step for us. So pray first, church family, and we’re going to come back and talk about it from Mark chapter 11 this Sunday. We’re just finishing up our, summit meetings for the year, And we’ve had the privilege to be able to have Pastor Kevin Inafuku back with us, on Guam and at Harvest. Pastor Kev, we talked to you last week on the phone, but we have you in studio today.
Kevin Inafuku: It’s so good to be here in person. I was actually standing outside of my house while we were interviewing and thinking, Man, I’m going to be out in the middle of the Pacific
Gary Walton: One week from now.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. It was great.
Gary Walton: So good to have you back. Many of you know and the voice of Kevin is familiar to you even as he introduces himself. But Pastor Kevin, his wife Misty, they serve together. Well, Kevin was here from 2003 to 2017 on our staff leading worship and really involved in every area of the ministry. And then, God called he and Misty off.
They went back to his, well, they went to Utah first to do some training, went back to Hawaii, where Kevin’s from, and then now God’s brought them back to the Salt Lake City area. And Pastor Kevin has been back a few times. Every time you’re here, God uses you powerfully. So welcome back to the beautiful island of Guam.
Kevin Inafuku: Thank you. It’s so good to be back. I think I enjoyed just the singing, man, in church has been amazing, and so it’s good to actually be sitting in the pew or in the seats and just enjoying the body, worshiping together.
Gary Walton: We’ve talked about it a little bit, the Harvest is a special place.
Kevin Inafuku: It is. It is. I think I was moved to tears on Sunday morning just because you look out and see so many new people and so many cultures and the diversity. And just causes you to to long for heaven where every tribe, nation, and tongue will be singing together around the throne.
Gary Walton: You know, I tell people often, especially if I’m connecting with government or other island leaders, I tell them that you won’t get a better representation of the island of Guam than Sunday morning at Harvest. Mhmm. And in fact, even, honestly, even in other churches, there’s there’s a lot of churches that maybe more local churches that might be Filipino or Japanese, Korean. And there’s some diverse churches. I don’t don’t misunderstand that.
But, man, when you come here to Harvest, you got you got some military and then just every single part of our island is represented. Pretty cool.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah, it’s powerful. I mean, don’t think there’s any place like it, to be honest. I mean, even in Hawaii there’s a lot of diversity, but the diversity here is pretty amazing. You’re blown away because people are coming not just to sit and listen, they’re actively worshiping God.
Gary Walton: Well, we were talking about together, well, let me do this first. You’ve got, a buddy with you. Kelson, why don’t you introduce Kelson to us?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah, Kelson has worked out with us in Camp Kupono, in a camp that we actually I attended when I was a little kid and have been able to be the director for the last five years. And so Kelson came out a couple summers ago and God worked in his heart and, was able to baptize him. Then he, came out last summer and just a deeper surrender to the Lord and what he would have in his life. And so, just through conversations, we’re like, Hey, I’m headed to Guam and I just think it’d be good for you to take the next step on the pathway, discipleship, and see what ministry is like and missions. Super thankful for him.
He’s been a blessing to my kids, to my boys, it’s awesome. So I’m glad glad he’s here.
Gary Walton: Hey, Kelson. Welcome. Thanks for coming along and being a part of the ministry this week.
Kelson Penwell: Yeah. Absolutely. It it’s been a pleasure to to, one, get out here. I’ve I’ve never been on island before, so huge just a super cool God opportunity that he made a way for me to come out here. I’m in the middle of school right now.
And so I honestly did not think it would all work out, but God just opened every single door to to for it to all work out, money, school, schedules, just you name it, and he and he made a way. And so super exciting because I know that God, you know, is going before us as we travel here and me and excited to as as we’ve already seen God move here, just continue to to watch him move through this church and this ministry as a whole. Super, super unique. Never seen anything like it. And heard so much from Kevin and Misty and other people that have been impacted by Harvest.
I’m from Greenville. So, you know, a You’re lot
Gary Walton: a senior at Clemson. Right?
Kelson Penwell: Senior at Clemson University from Greenville. And it’s so funny. It’s like I travel places, and there’s always like a tie back to to Greenville. And Mhmm. And so it’s it’s fun and it it’s super special.
So I’ve known a lot of people that have just been impacted by this ministry. But to come here and be impacted personally myself and to get to, not only share my testimony, but hear the testimonies of of so many local people and people that have given their lives to to serve to serve Harvest and and to partner in the faith.
Gary Walton: Well, that’s awesome, Kelson. We’re glad that you’re here. Yeah, it’s been great to get to know you and have you connected here. I was, bringing him into the picture because the three of us were talking just generally about the singing earlier. And I meant to tell you at that time, I’ll say it right here, I mean, the singing here is a fruit of your ministry, you know, early on.
I mean, it is awesome to hear you say, you know, I sense the same spirit.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. For sure. Man, I well, thanks for saying that.
Gary Walton: Yeah.
Kevin Inafuku: You know, yeah. I I just think you look back over the years and you just, like, you know, I I don’t think there was ever, like, I wanna I wanna have a church that sings. It’s just like you just, you know, love the lord, and you see people express that through songs. And I just am so thankful for being able to have a small part in that.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Awesome. What is coming back to Guam and Harvest meant for you this time?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I think I think initially, you know, I I really wasn’t supposed to be the main speaker. So we’ll start there. I think I was super excited to just come along and
be with Steve and be able to see God do a work and then that all
Gary Walton: Yeah, Evangelist Steve Pettit was coming. Talked with him. He’s like, Let’s grab Kevin and let’s do the super team. He didn’t say that. We started saying the super team is coming.
And then, just recently, his wife, Terri, who we love, has had some health challenges. And Steve just said, Now’s not the time. Unfortunately, God already had the plan in place. That’s right.
Kevin Inafuku: And it just in preps for coming with Steve, it reminded me of actually my first trip to Guam with Steve and seeing Guam for the first time. And the old chapel was there, I ran a children’s program out there, and saw God do some awesome things. But that was actually so it just kind of full circle, again, was thinking, oh, we’re going back with Steve and and Guam. So my heart, I was excited about that. But and then, you know, Steve’s not here, and so it kinda shifted in my own mind and heart and and, and just through prayer, it’s just God just stirring in my heart to say, okay, Lord, what do you wanna do in in me first?
And, I just I just wanna go out and serve in any way that we can and be a blessing to see the church, continue to move forward.
Gary Walton: What do you most want to hear, want Harvest to hear, this week? You know, underneath all five messages that you’re gonna be preaching in in Summit, is there, you know, singular burden that you’re carrying for the church family?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. I think as I was preparing for for the messages, yeah, just Jesus. I mean that Jesus is better, that he is worth it. I mean, all that he did for us, he’s worth following. And life is hard, and it is, and difficult, and the path is, you know, unclear.
You don’t know the next step that that actually Jesus does, and we can trust him. And and and and and we can trust him with our lives. And then in turn, we can actually pour out our lives for others. And that’s kind of where we’re headed here in the next couple of day couple of evenings in in what is was it what is it really when we follow Jesus, what does it really look like? And how do our lives how can our lives really impact other people’s lives for the glory of God?
Yeah.
Gary Walton: Talking about the supremacy of Jesus, the surrender that’s required of that. Anything in your story, Kev, that recently God’s just kind of poking at on this area of surrender, his his supremacy in your life?
Kevin Inafuku: Dr. Yeah, thank you for asking. Yeah, a lot. As a dad, as, you know, nearing 50, you know, it’s like you never think that you’re going to be 50, you always think you’re young. But
I think it helps to just shift some things in your mind and heart and go, Okay, Lord, You know, I might not have done everything perfectly, but how can you, how can you change that in my own heart and and continue to let you be the one to lead and direct and and really wanna just continue landing the plane whenever that is, hopefully not for another thirty years, but just to be faithful in that and want to lift him up, want to let him, even through the years, just let him be the one to bind everything up that maybe wasn’t the best and wasn’t the right motives, but let Jesus actually change the meaning of that and the purpose as we move forward as a family. I think as a dad and a husband, I think there’s been just a lot of priority shifting and even as our kids get older, continually focus on how Jesus can actually be the one to help me be a better husband and a better dad in discipleship and leading my family in prayer and the word. And, that’s been something that, he’s been working in in me as well.
Yeah.
Gary Walton: Thanks for your transparency, your authenticity. It’s always been, you know, part of the gifting that God’s given you and, maybe not even gifting. I, just the connection. You’re able to connect with people because of that that realness. I’ve always appreciated that.
Kelson, let me pull you into this, little conversation about surrender, you know, maybe at a little different place than Kevin or I are at. What’s surrender mean to you? I mean, you’re you’re, like, looking at life right in front of you, you know, gonna graduate from college What’s what’s hard about surrender for you? Or is it not hard?
Kelson Penwell: No. Definitely hard. So two summers ago, like, when, you know, I went out to Hawaii and and God really, really changed my life, that was, you know, the a huge part of my testimony because I was never willing to actually surrender my life to him. I mean, I would give him the easy parts in in the Sunday and and the Wednesday night youth group. But when it came to, you know, these people or these relationships or what I’m gonna do on Saturday night or all of these things, it was just there’s no way I could give that up.
And so a big part of my testimony was and and for a lot of people, it’s the struggle. I’m weighing the options, but there’s no way that what I’m willing to give up, it somehow, there’s no way that what God’s giving me could be amount to what I’m giving up. Mhmm. And so that that summer when when I truly weighed the options, I said, no, I need Jesus and I need a full surrender. That was a huge moment for me.
And I was so scared because I thought I was writing out a list of all the things I was I love that I was gonna give to God and he was just gonna rip it away from me. But, oh my gosh, he was so kind to me. And through my surrender, he gave me things that I didn’t even know to I didn’t even know to ask for, like abundant friendships and joy. And I just think of Psalm sixteen eleven and it’s talking about like there’s just eternal pleasures and joy in his presence and and all of that is through that surrender, that initial surrender that turned into a daily surrender. But as I move into now, as a senior in college, man, I’m I’m I’m looking down the the barrel of real life, right, when I graduate and and it’s so exciting, but it also, you know, comes with comes with a little bit of fear of of what is next and what does God have for me and all the pressures of, well, I have to do everything right and I wanna provide and I wanna make money and I wanna and and it comes with all of these pressures, but that is where I feel like God is is squeezing me and and teaching me that surrender is not just something that I did one time in Hawaii and now I’m good.
It’s it’s a daily thing that I’m having to sit here and say, God, I have no idea what my life is gonna look like in six months when I graduate, but I’m surrendering my future to you. I’m surrendering my my desire to have a stable job and and this is my desire to have, you know, say that I did this and this and this. And so surrender is, you know, something that I’m still working through right now as I’m looking down into the what’s next? What’s next? And I’m I’m just trusting that what God has for me through my surrender is is gonna be good because I love him, and and that’s what he says.
So
Gary Walton: Yeah. It’s so good. Yeah. Yeah. So good.
Pastor Kev, what about why do people, believers why do they struggle with so many struggle with kind of a passive spiritual life? I mean, we’re talking about this surrender. Why is it why is it difficult? Why do so many have no change kind of happening in their life? Anything you think about that?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah, man, a couple of thoughts came into my head. I think one would be maybe bad experience. I think maybe people that have failed them. And so there’s this sense of like, Yeah, I don’t know if everybody wants to jump all in with God or with church because of some past hurts or past failures in people that maybe they looked up to.
I think that’s one. Think some of it is maybe the unknown. And it’s like, I don’t know if I could do that. Like, if I do that, then that means I’m going to have to get on a plane and go all across the ocean. And I’m actually going to have to do things that I naturally don’t wanna do.
I wanna make money. I wanna, so I think some of that is, there’s a passivity with that. But I think the thing that we try to talk about a lot is, is to go back and just look at all that Jesus has done for us. And, we talked a little bit about that on Sunday. It’s just, you know, he he knew all that would happen to him, and he was still thinking of us.
And, I think that just impacts me in a great way, and I I try to emphasize that with with, the guys we disciple and people in our church of of helping them to to see and keep their eyes on him because everything else, when we keep our eyes on other things, it causes us to actually stay in a crippled state or hesitancy or not really actually wanting to do things that I think we would do if our hearts and our minds were fixed on Jesus because he’s done so much for us.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. We’re so encouraged Sunday night, Monday night just about that focus on Jesus, keeping our heart there, our mind there changes everything for us and really appreciated that. You’re back on the Pastoral Team at Gospel Hope Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. What’s God teaching you there?
I mean, what what is ministry in Salt Lake City taught you about the Gospel?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Whew. Man, I I think the big big rock would be, God doesn’t really need me. God doesn’t need my ideas, and God doesn’t need my plans. I think it’s it’s been another season of dependency on on him because there’s there, you know, there’s I mean, it it is a hard area.
It’s a hard place. And, you know, I think I think prayer and dependence on him and trusting him, to do the work in someone’s life and helping them to see Jesus. I think that’s been something that he’s been helping me. And then I think it’s easy as you get older to actually think that you have all this experience and you know all this and actually we don’t really know anything. And you’re just trying to
Gary Walton: You start to realize it more and more, right?
Kevin Inafuku: You’re just like, I don’t even know what it looks like. And so when guys at Kelson are asking, you’re like, I can tell you this, but I don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s a little bit of our family has learned and we keep telling ourselves this, we just want to do the next right thing. And we may not even know what that is, but we want to be willing to do that. So God keeps us trusting him and depending on him for all of that.
Gary Walton: Any particular burdens for this season at Gospel Hope? And you talked about some strategic plans, but just spiritually, anything particularly?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. I think a strong burden that I have and I think with the younger guys even at Gospel Hope, but also the camp team and others is is we just I I just wanna be faithful to pass the baton off whenever that is. And so even now thinking about that, I say this to the folks at Gospel Hope, like we really want to work ourselves out of a job. Like that’s how serious we are about equipping and that’s how serious we are about discipleship because it’s easy to just get in a position and be like, This is my position and my role, and it keeps us from actually doing what we’re supposed to be doing as pastors.
So for me, that’s become a little bit more of a drive in my own heart to wanna be faithful in passing that on and preparing the next generation for gospel ministry.
Gary Walton: Love it. Love it. You know, you have such a unique perspective of Guam, Harvest, just because of the time that you’ve had here, your ongoing relationships. We love every part of how God’s led you speaking. We love the focus.
What’s your, you know, what do you wanna leave here this week? You know, what’s your burden for? What’s your, like, challenge for Harvest as as we look out over the next season? What’s it look like coming from you.
Kevin Inafuku: Well, from first of all, man, God’s just doing awesome things here. It’s amazing. And the response to the Word and the preaching of the Word is just a tribute to what happens week in and week out. And so I just thank God for that. It’s been a blessing in my own heart.
But I think what I would I mean, and it’s already happening, so it’s not even like it’s not happening. If I can just be someone that continues to light the fire under the people here to keep their eyes on Jesus, and as we do that, it actually motivates us and compels us to love other people and to pour into them and to see real discipleship happening on this island. Because I believe it’s happening, but in a greater way, I think, going back to the first question, what keeps people from being passive? I just think this next generation wants more people in their lives and wants people to pour into them. And I think it just is gonna be, I mean, God’s gonna do some pretty incredible things when that happens collectively.
Gary Walton: You know, Kev, it’s so weird. I think you’d relate to this. Not weird. I don’t know what the word is, but I thought about this a lot. We celebrated fifty years, you know, and your father-in-law, mother-in-law were here.
We love Pastor and Mrs. Herron, and the Rings were back, and Mrs. Lewis was able to come. It’s just, you know, really sweet to have them here. And, but, I mean, really, there is this burden in my heart that sounds so strange because of everything that God has done here.
But in some ways, I really still feel like the foundation has been laid for a season on Guam where the people are more open than they’ve ever
Kevin Inafuku: yes.
Gary Walton: And. yeah. Yeah. It just it’s a it’s a driving thing for me. I think revival’s still in the future Mhmm. Amen.
You know, on Guam. And, yeah, your encouragement for us this week is really powerful. Yeah. Praise the Lord. I appreciate it.
Thank you. Yeah. Kelson, anything from you? What are you learning here? What do what do wanna leave with us, man?
Kelson Penwell: Oh my goodness. Well, one one thing that, you know, he had he had mentioned that Alt mentioned that stood out to me the most, I think, is, the worship, which is is something maybe, you know, if you grew up in Harvest your whole life, maybe you’re you you’ve never thought about how beautiful it is. But I actually have a I go to a church plant back in Clemson. It was planted, like, four or five years ago, and we have a really small body of members. And so when I that first Sunday morning, when I heard everybody start singing, I was like, oh my goodness.
You can barely hear the instruments. Like, this is awesome. And so I think it’s so beautiful and so glorifying to the Lord that the main instruments are literally the voices of the body. Right, man. And how that is that is, like, I always think of humility being, like, kingdom currency.
And, like, that is that is like humility and unity and like that’s just fruit of the spirit, all the body singing and being so loud. So that’s something that really stood out to me. As far as what I’d like to leave here, I mean, I’d love to be a good steward of anything and and leave it better than I found it. But I I think that Harvest is gonna end up leaving me a lot a lot better than I’m I’m gonna impact it. And but if I if I could, share something with Harvest, I I think it would be along the lines of of discipleship just because I’ve seen intentional discipleship be a huge role in changing my life.
Right?
Gary Walton: Yeah.
Kelson Penwell: I shared a little bit with you guys earlier, like, because of intentional discipleship, whether that’s pastor Kevin or or other people or pastors, because of that, I’m totally different and I’m changed by it. And and it’s not that I wasn’t a Christian, it’s just that somebody put their arm around me and said, this is how you read and this is what we’re gonna do. And when you fall, I’m gonna pick you up. I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna walk with you.
And because of that and because of their obedience to discipleship, I am changed by that. And I’m left wanting to actually go do that for other people. And so that’s kind of just hopping off of of his challenge to, the people of Guam is is if if if you guys and people all over the world are, if you’re usually, if you’re impacted by somebody like that, you wanna go and do it. And and and so it just creates tons of links in the chain and links in the chain and links in the chain, and it’s gonna impact so much more than just Guam and so much more than just the Pacific Islands. It’s gonna impact the world.
And so it I I I really do believe that it starts with discipleship and we see just how Jesus did that so well and how he had the thousands and the 12 and the three that he really, really poured into and just loved. And then those people went out and taught and and and so that’s something that’s been impacting me recently.
Gary Walton: Amen. Don’t be the missing link. Right? Yes, sir. That’s right.
Yes, sir. Hey, Kevin. Thank you for coming Yeah. Being with us. Give our love to your family.
I will. We’re always thankful for you, your family, praying for you.
Kevin Inafuku: Thank you.
Gary Walton: And looking forward to the ongoing ministry of the word that would just, you know, kinda plant in our ears for a few days, but would be lasting Yeah. As we serve him together. Alright. Amen.
Chris Harper: Well, thank you for listening to this Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always wanna invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church, 08:45AM, 10:45AM, Sunday. We have Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45AM service. We also broadcast that service live here on 88.1 FM and khmg.org. We hope to see you this Sunday.
Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.