Pastor Kevin Inafuku will be our keynote speaker for Summit Meetings 2026 at Harvest Baptist Church. He spoke with Pastor Walton this week on Harvest Time.
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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 week. You can join us at 8.45am Or 10:45 am every Sunday. We have Japanese and Korean translation during our second service at 10:45 am We also live stream that service at hbcguam.org. Hbcguam.org. And this week, it’s a special week. We’re beginning our Summit Meetings with Pastor Kevin Inafuku.
Let’s begin today’s harvest time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton. Hi, Pastor.
Gary Walton: Hey, hafa adai, Chris. How are you doing? Thankful to be together here today and excited about having on the line a special friend of Harvest, Pastor Kevin Inafuku. We want to welcome you right away, Kevin. Thanks for being with us.
Kevin Inafuku: Thanks for having me. Thanks, Pastor.
Gary Walton: Yeah. We have Kevin on the line. He’s actually not here on island, but he’s on his way very soon Because we’re coming up, as Chris mentioned, we’re coming up on our Summit Meetings annually, we take few days early in September, kind of the start of our school year for the college and the academy, and then a reset for us as ministry. And, just take a few days and focus on the Word and, spiritual growth in our lives. We try to invite some people to come and be a part of these services, and so that’s coming up, Summit Meetings, this coming Sunday and then, Sunday night through Wednesday night.
And we’ve asked Pastor Kevin if he would come and, be our keynote speaker for that. He’ll connect. We got a Spirit Week going on in the academy and a lot of other stuff. But, yeah, Kev, we’re excited to be able to have you, come back and be with us again.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. I’m excited. Thank you for the privilege and for for asking me to come and partner with you guys. We’re looking forward to it.
Gary Walton: Pastor Kevin’s on the pastoral team at Gospel Hope Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, but, he was here on Guam for, is that is it fourteen years, Kev? Is that right?
Kevin Inafuku: Yep. It was around yep.
Gary Walton: In the early two thousands, I think I, came in 2003 and then here through 2017. And Yes. Just, you know, just such a vital part of Harvest Ministries throughout that whole time. And really, the the the whole island connected across the volleyball community, and Kevin, you know, has led worship here, and so just involved a lot of music things in the academy and and, and across the island. And so a lot of people, know him well, and all of us are excited, to have you come back.
It’s been a a couple years since you’ve been here. Right?
Kevin Inafuku: Yes, sir. Yeah. It has.
Gary Walton: Kev, I know you’re bringing a a friend with you, kind of a mentor. Kelsson is coming with you, but, wanted to check-in. I know people wanna know how how are Misty and the kids?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Thanks for asking. You know, we moved back from, our time in Hawaii and just, wanting to know what the next step was for us and back into pastoral ministry, and so we landed a year ago yeah, almost a year ago. And so, Misty and the kids, are doing well there. The kids are plugged in here to school.
They Mylea is in tenth grade, and she’s kinda doing a hybrid at the public school here and then online. And then she’s then Aria and Masaki are at the middle school right down the road. So it’s a new school for them this year. And Aria is in eighth grade, and Masaki is in seventh. And then Isaiah is in fourth grade, and he goes to the public school right across street from us.
And so, Missy, she’s kind of full time juggling around all their schedules and doing some electives at home with them, and then also works part time for the city here. And and they’re doing well. They’re growing, and we’re super thankful to the Lord for for my family.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. Man, your kids are in those ages, Kev. I mean, coming on, well, close to ten years now since, you guys left Guam. And every time I see pictures of your kids, I just think it’s those ages when they’ve just grown, you know, so much during these seasons.
It’s cool seeing them. Your oldest is tenth grade already. That’s crazy. I wanna back up a little bit. You were here for fourteen years.
I think it came out in 2003. Tell us about Kevin before that time, God’s work in your life, and, you know, just give us a little bit of history for some that don’t know you.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. So, prior to arriving in Guam, traveling with Steve Pettit and for three years and I was working up at Northland Camp in Wisconsin and that’s kinda how I met Marty Herron. He was back after his first year from pastoring out in Guam, and, I think I think they had gone through some big typhoons at the time. And, and I think, he was like, you need to come on visit, and I came out, and it was it was literally right after Pongsona. So I landed on the island, and it was pitch black, no electricity, and it was kind of a crazy time.
But spent time, with Yuri and a lot of the guys just cleaning up the villages there and helping and just being a help, and God just dropped that visit, burned in my heart to just wanna be a part of helping there at Harvest. And so that kinda started at the least, the prayer part of, pursuing heading out to Guam in 2003. Yeah.
Gary Walton: You grew up on Hawaii. Right?
Kevin Inafuku: Yes. Yeah. So born and raised in Hawaii, and I think that that was the other thing that kinda played into, just, seeing a ministry that was reaching not only the people on the island, but people, and places beyond Guam. And it was, in my mind, similar to Hawaii that I was raised that I was raised in, you know, just more laid back and and a small community. And so seeing a ministry like that on an island was a big draw and and to my own heart just because growing up in Hawaii, there weren’t that many ministries or churches that were were there on the island.
So it was something that really excited me to be a part of.
Gary Walton: Tell me about your family, Kev. Did you grow up in a Christian home? How how did you come to know Jesus?
Kevin Inafuku: My parents, my mom is actually from, the East Coast, and she grew up in an unsafe family. And, her senior year of high school, a friend invited her to a youth activity, and she ended up trusting the Lord. Fact is the pastor at that church, it was in West Virginia, was Jim Efaw. I think he’s was out in Colorado now.
Gary Walton: But Oh, yeah.
Kevin Inafuku: I know him. He He encouraged her to go to Bible College, and so she went to Appalachian at the time, Appalachian Bible Institute. And my grandparents were obviously not for that. They were unsaved, but she ended up going and and finished up there. And this was the the only year, I think, that Bob Jones University ever kinda invited another college to on a missions trip with with them.
And so it was a missions trip to Hawaii. And she’s like, well, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. So she ended up going on this team, that Bob Jones University led out to Hawaii, and, they were there all summer. They were building, helping be a part of mission work, but, but a main part of it was building the church building that my my parents currently still attend that church. But, anyway, she she went out there and then met my dad.
Oh, wow. My dad and and ended up not going back with the team and lived with the family and the church for a couple of years and worked, and then they end up getting married. On my dad’s side, he grew up before the church was even there in Hawaii, there were some missionaries that came out, and they drive around a van and pick up kids. This is when he probably was a little more normal. Mhmm.
But they pick up kids and and host bible clubs, and so all of my dad’s siblings, seven of them, ended up trusting the Lord through these missionaries who and who in turn later on, a few years later, my grandparents ended up trusting the Lord because of their kids and and these missionaries. And and then a few years later, the church was started, and my grandparents were the first deacons in the church, and church was planted. And so, yeah, so my heart I mean, the gospel is just, you know, it’s powerful to change the trajectory of lives and and did so for my own family and both my mom and and my dad through folks that just follow Jesus and and preach the gospel, and so super thankful for that. And, but they’re first generation Christians, and, you know, they didn’t really know how to parent. They grew up in unsafe families at the time.
So, so that was all new for them and and how they parented, and, of course, went through some some rebellious years because a lot of their parenting was was pretty much, you know, just focused on some rules and and not really knowing why they were who was doing it. So there were some rough years, but God used all of that and and connected my parents with the guy that, his name was Bobby Wood, actually, who was on the island and talked him into sending me to Bob Jones University. And at that time, I wasn’t living for the Lord, and I had a girlfriend I was dating for a number of years, and we’re gonna get married right out of high school. And, and my parents said, you know, you need a you need a you need a head off to Bob Jones or else we’re gonna kick you out of the house because it was that bad. And, you know, in 1995, it wasn’t like we flew a lot anywhere.
You know, we ended we didn’t really leave the island much. And so flying to South Carolina was a big, huge, huge change in different you know, obviously hard for me, but, God used all of that and brought a guy into my room my second semester of my freshman year, Mark Gennellet, who God used as a huge, you know, I I believe just just his his life. And every morning, he was up reading his bible in in his bed and journaling, and I saw my name on his prayer list. He never told me he was praying for me, and and God used all that to chisel with the hardness of my heart, and and super thankful for for that because after Mark you know, it was Bobby and then Mark, and and God just continued to put the right people into my life that shaped and has discipled me along the way, including Steve and Marty. So I’m just thankful to God for providentially all the folks that he’s put into my my parents’ lives, my family, and and mine as well to mentor us and disciple us in the faith.
Gary Walton: Yeah. I don’t think I’ve heard that whole story. In fact, I’m sure that I haven’t. And, it’s really fascinating, Kev. I didn’t know I mean, it’s really cool, the product of missions in Hawaii and Yeah.
Church plant there and all the ways. I mean, God’s really gifted you in in some very unique ways, I think. And but even that background, part of God’s ultimately, you know, what he’s gonna use to shape you to be, you know, who who he wanted you to be. It’s really, really fascinating. So you you you show you talked to us a little bit through that Bible College.
You traveled with Steve Pettit team and and then ended up at Northland for a little bit and then and then out here. So you came out here single, you met Misty here, and your your whole family, right, was was born here. Tell us a little bit about that. What what not necessarily the relationship parts, but how did God use all, you know, that whole fourteen years to to shape shape you?
Kevin Inafuku: Those were you know, I tell people, when I tell people the story of Guam, it’s it’s there’s so many emotions because I feel like, you know, I know that God brought us out brought me out there. And at that point, heading out to Guam was, like, a big deal because you just didn’t know when you were coming back. Yeah. You know? Again, it wasn’t like flying is today, you know, where so for me, it was like, I don’t know what’s gonna happen.
And and then going out there, you know, I was single for a number of years, and and so there are challenges in my own my own life of just trusting the Lord and and a faith in the fact that he has a plan, and I can trust him. And at the same time, I wanna leverage all of my time and energy in discipleship and pouring into the guys. But it was it was a struggle. There was definitely a a deepening in my own heart with my walk with the Lord and my my relationship with the Lord during those single years, for sure. And I tell I tell guys, you know, those times of just I I have a spot on two month day that was just my spot that I would go and cry out to God and and pour my heart out to him because I because it it my heart was.
I wanted to be married. I wanted to be serving on a on a greater level. And and and God saw fit for me to be single for a number of those years. And and so, ministry wise, it was a a deepening, a breaking in a lot of areas, and and and God used I I think I said this when I left Harvest, you know, you come thinking that you’re gonna, you know, wanna make a difference, but, you know, I walked away, saying that, actually, I needed Harvest more than Harvest needed me Mhmm. In a lot of ways, and and Guam in in as a whole to actually choose continue to chisel away at those rough spots in my own walk, in my own heart.
So I’m super thankful for for Guam.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for sharing that, Kev. That’s really it’s a powerful story of God’s God’s work. I know that you have been back here, you know, several times, a couple times since you left.
What what makes returning to Harvest so meaningful?
Kevin Inafuku: There’s a lot of there’s a lot of answers I could give. I think probably the older you get, you just kinda get a little more sentimental about everything.
Gary Walton: Exactly.
Kevin Inafuku: So I think, yeah, I think, you know, my emotions are you know, like you said, you know, my my kids were born there. There’s a little bit of history there. And as they get older, it’s you you continue to try to help remind them of the history Yeah. Even though they don’t remember as much. But, that, I think, I think of a lot of people that we just still love and care for and, and have seen even from afar, God continue to grow and use them, there on the island in such a powerful way.
And then and then there’s and then there’s some folks that we still pray for that God would would open their eyes and and rescue them and save them, that we’re just continually praying and asking God to do that. So there’s a lot a lot of relational relationships that we just are so thankful for and treasure there.
Gary Walton: Yeah. You’re, I know you have so many friendships here and people that remain close to you. You’re loved here. You’re Misty. Your family is loved here.
Really thankful for that and the influence that you had during that time period period that’s that’s ongoing. It’s actually one of the reasons among many, but why we’re so excited about you being back for a Summit Meeting. You know, I God has different voices, for for his people, particularly for Harvest. You know, I I am able to see kind of this, you know, take shape. And there’s different voices that God has in his providence allows us to hear at the right time in the right place, but, you know, somebody that has been here and has invested the kind of time that you have just it it there just is a a connection that’s made, and, we’ve been praying a lot for, for Summit Meetings, praying for you, and, you you know, I know you want it.
It’s more than just a a return tour. You know, we’re praying that God would just Yeah. Dramatically use the word and your testimony in in the life in the life of our church. Kev, give us just the the quick cliffs cliff notes on, you know, your family since leaving Guam. Spent some time in Hawaii back there for a while.
Now you’re in Salt Lake Salt Lake City. Right?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Yeah. We, we landed in Hawaii right before COVID, So it was a rough landing, and helped out a church there in and was, you know, really thankful for the the opportunity to help revitalize the church and move them forward. And and then we stepped away after two and a half years just through some philosophical differences, but but God’s still using that church in a great way, and we’re still thankful for the time there. And then we just, you know, there’s times where you just go, okay.
What’s next, Lord? And on an island, when you grow up in a place and and there’s so many so so backtracking a little bit, growing up, there was there was hardly any churches, and then now there’s this influx of churches and networks, and you’re just trying to figure out, okay. You know, where do I go? You know? Who who are our people?
Yeah. And where is the really the need? And and I think a lot of that and, know, there’s still a burden in my heart for the islands. And, at the same time, I think a greater burden that was growing inside of me was, was the fact that my kids were getting older. And so, you know, I you know, we were grinding it out just, trying to pay the bills and survive that my you know, I didn’t want the formative years of of my kids to just for them not to even see their dad do what he was called to do.
So those are some of the that was a a big burden of ours. Just go, okay. We had a we had a couple of different ministries that were asking us to come and help, and and and one of them was Gospel Hope to come back. They were just launching a church plant down south and regrouping and really needing some help vision wise to move forward and and ask us to come and help them out through that transition and launching and helping. So we came last last July and launched a church plant in November and, and then just been trying to regroup, get moving forward, and continue to see people saved and, and, Lord willing, keep our eyes on planting more churches.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. Well, it’s pretty cool. I know that you have roots there, so, you know, pretty cool for you to be able to hit the ground running and, you know, just see what God’s doing. God’s doing a a neat thing in in Salt Lake City.
Right? There’s a big mission field there.
Kevin Inafuku: Yes. Yeah. A big mission field, and it’s still, you know, less than 2% evangelical. And, at the same time, there’s a lot of folks that are moving in, so there’s you know, it’s changing continually. I mean, it’s different than when we lived here last, and so the the landscape’s different.
The the the LDS Church is changing in a lot of different ways, and it causes more confusion because they they use it. They’re continually using the same terms that we would use. Right. And and this recently just allowed their people to read the ESV, so that’s a new Interesting. Thing.
But but, yeah, it’s it’s it’s it’s a huge need and super thankful for my kids. They they obviously are involved in sports, and it’s always been our heart to use that as a tool. And Maileah’s just had some great conversations with the varsity team girls and asking, lots of questions and her inviting them to church. And so just Wow. Praying for seeds to continue to be planted and and people to get saved.
Gary Walton: Wow. That’s cool. Well, you’re gonna be here, this weekend. We’ve got you preaching, five times during, during the Summit Meetings and then, you know, a bunch of other responsibilities. But without giving away all five messages, what are you hoping God will do, during during our meetings?
Kevin Inafuku: I just wanna you know, my desire is just to lift up Jesus. And and through even some of the testimony that I just shared, I just hone in on the the fact that he is worth following Amen. And then walking worthy of the gospel and how actually God’s people can stand and follow because of who God is and the security he brings even when life feels like it’s falling apart or it’s difficult. And then and then kinda ending the week with, you know, some of the discipleship passages and and what God’s called us to do in leveraging all that we are and all that we have for the gospel daily in multiplication and even passing it on to the next generation. I think that’s probably what God’s burning my own heart with in, with the college kids that I’m I had the privilege of leading in the summers and and just wanting to wanting to equip them and hand it off in a great way so that they can even see God do greater things in their generation.
So that’s some of my heart for the week.
Gary Walton: You’re gonna be speaking, after Summit, well, kinda blending together, but, in HCA for our spirit week that’s coming up. And, you know, you had a a portion of your ministry while you’re here with those kids, coach volleyball, a lot of good things. What do you hope to what do you hope to be able to say to our, our our high school kids?
Kevin Inafuku: Oh, man. I’m I’m probably super excited and super nervous about the HCA part primarily because I feel like, you know, I’ve been out of that Yeah. Lane for a little bit. Yeah. But but, man, I I think my burden is the gospel, first of all, and then how to walk in that.
I’m I’m I’m still not set on that yet, but
Gary Walton: I’m Sure.
Kevin Inafuku: Here leaning in Galatians five, but, actually, might even feel it out on that Tuesday first, but I have a couple different paths. And and I’m bringing Kelton out. Kelton is a senior at Clemson University, and God’s done a great work in his life. And the last two summers have been deep discipleship summers, and and he’s he’s doing it there on campus, discipling others and and leading bible studies. And I’m I’m just excited for him to share his testimony with the kids and be able to meet with some of them one on one and try to encourage and strengthen along the way, but wanting them to see that it’s worth it.
Following Jesus is worth it.
Gary Walton: Amen. Well, I don’t think you have any trouble getting right back in the lane, and we’ve been praying, so we’re confident the Spirit’s gonna lead you each step of the way, and you know, we’re coming along beside. I mean, there is a responsibility. I know that you feel the weight of the preaching, but it is God’s work and God’s people.
Kevin Inafuku: Amen.
Gary Walton: So we’re inviting people to come. Yeah. Maybe a quick plug. We’ve got a a men’s steakout on Saturday night, will be right after you kinda hit the ground on Friday night, but I think we’ve got in fact, I know we have a 150 tickets sold and still some coming in place. And so if anybody’s listening Friday night or Saturday morning and you’d like to come and connect with, Kevin, you can still come, and, we’ll start that at 05:30.
You can buy tickets at the door if you need to, on that night. So, Kev, man, we’re we’re looking forward to, you coming. Pray that your flights all, you know, happen as they’re supposed to, and, it’ll be great to have you back here.
Kevin Inafuku: Thank you so much, and really appreciate you, Pastor Gary.
Chris Harper: And thank you for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always wanna personally invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church at Summit Meetings, 08:45AM, 10:45AM, Sunday, and then there’s a Sunday evening, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evening service as well. During our Sunday morning at the 10:45AM service, We do have Japanese and Korean translation for you. We also bring you that service live here on 88.1FM and khmg.org. We hope to see you Sunday and throughout the week.
Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.