GUYANA MISSION AVIATION

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Cessna

A Missionary Aviation Project Designed by David Gates (gates@andrews.edu)
April 1996

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary
General Information
Geography
People
Economy

Denominational Information

The Church
The Dream
The Commission

Operational Strategy

Objective
Strategy
Methodology

Identifying the Right Aircraft

Purchase of the Plane

About the Author and his Family

Family Members
A Bit of History
Hobbies
Education
Aviation Qualifications
Work Experience

Appendix A - Advantages/Disadvantages of Aircraft Size
Appendix B - Capital Investment and Operations Budgets

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The world-wide Seventh-day Adventist church has always accepted Christ's commission to "go into all the world". During the last 5 years special emphasis was placed on reaching the un-reached via a plan called "Global Mission." Current strategic plans call for reaching even deeper into our cities, villages, and communities; to corporately place our "hands around the world" as a means of touching each life with God's love.

During its 85 years, Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has been successful in its programs of penetration into territories accessible by road or water. Approximately 80% of its territory (and 15% of its population) lie in areas normally inaccessible except by air. There are no roads to these areas, and rivers are not navigable due to the many waterfalls. The cost of chartering commercial aircraft has limited movement of personnel to 1-2 trips to the interior per year. Since the great work accomplished by Elder Davis with the Davis Indians, little progress has been made into new areas of the interior of Guyana. These must be penetrated by the third angel's message before Christ returns.

Clear counsel regarding new work states that Nothing will open doors for the truth like evangelistic medical missionary work -- BCL, p.40, and we should seize every opportunity to bear the truth into new territory!" -- RH June 23, 1903. Following these guidelines, a strategic plan of penetration into the interior has been developed in coordination with the Davis Memorial Hospital and the Guyana Conference of SDA both located in Georgetown. The Hospital will provide medical personnel on a rotating basis to provide villagers with medical care and training, while the Conference will assist in funding transportation ($8-10,000 per year) and provide personnel for evangelistic follow-up. Other organizations/individuals have also been supportive of the idea of being possible sources of additional operating income. These include Caribbean Union Conference, ADRA IAD, Adventist World Aviation, and Guyanese professionals living abroad.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Whereas the interior of Guyana has hundreds of unreached villages whose only practical access is by air, and the cost of commercial aviation is excessively high, and whereas the current political climate is very favorable to the SDA medical work, it is recommended that a properly equipped aircraft be purchased along with several ground-based HF radio to be placed in strategic locations in the interior. In order to reduce costs as well as increase its flexibility of operation, the plane should be acquired and initially operated independently of but in a close working partnership with the organized work. Pilot qualifications and recurrency training must meet or exceed GC specifications. Minimum aircraft insurance limits will be that currently required by the General Conference of third party owned aircraft.
[Back to Home Page] [General Information] [Denominational Information] [Operational Strategy] [The Aircraft ] [About the Author] [Appendix A] [Appendix B]