NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA - This French territory, about 915 miles east of Brisbane, Australia, is home to more than 250,000 souls. It also includes one of the largest islands in the Pacific Ocean — perhaps the largest island in the world with no Church of Christ.

A small group of church members hopes to change that.

Barry Baggott, who oversees a ministry that produces French gospel literature, traveled to New Caledonia recently with his son, Matthew, and Robert Martin, a longtime missionary in the South Pacific.
“This trip was primarily given to seed-sowing,” said Barry Baggott, whose work is sponsored by the Crieve Hall church in Nashville, Tenn. The Forest Park, Ga., church, supports Martin’s work.

The workers handed out tracts and enrollment cards for Bible correspondence courses in public parks and housing projects. They conducted Bible studies and placed newspaper ads inviting islanders to study through the mail or online through World Bible School and World English Institute.

The people have a mix of religious beliefs — Catholic, Protestant, animistic and atheistic, Barry Baggott said. He plans to return to New Caledonia twice per year to help establish a church there.