One thing is clear to all those who knew and loved these men. They were not interested in politics or money and were certainly NOT spies. A spy comes under cover of darkness, he hides, he deceives, his aim is not to be discovered or caught. These brothers did the very opposite: they went by day directly, openly, honestly without any weapons or hatred to find out what had happened to their Brother. These Brothers were men of God who walked in the light and who went to meet Keke in the name of Christ. The Archbishop of Melanesia, the most Reverend Sir Ellison Pogo answering false stories wrote: ‘The Melanesian Brotherhood has never taken sides in any dispute and has never been the judge of any person.

The Brotherhood has simply tried to follow our Lord Jesus Christ to witness the Gospel and to bring peace and reconciliation.’

In this report I would like us to remember again their story for I believe it is a story which like these seven young men who lost their lives, must never be forgotten. It is a story of faith and courage and above all, it is a story which reflects Jesus Christ’s own story. For these seven men gave their lives for the peace of this nation and in remembering them we witness both the pain of their death but also the hope and the meaning of resurrection and new life.

From 1999 onwards the Melanesian Brotherhood alongside the other religious communities had been in the frontline of peacemaking. With a police force that many felt they could not depend on, many turned to the Melanesian Brotherhood for help and support when their lives and property were threatened. In trying to respond to those needs the Melanesian Brotherhood did not want to become policemen or politicians or security guards: they were simply trying to meet the needs of their people who had no one else to turn to and trust. The work of the Melanesian Brotherhood thus involved camping between the enemy lines and trying each day to stop the fighting, it involved helping the displaced and the wounded, the elderly and the children. It involved trying to locate the bodies of the dead so they could be returned to grieving relatives. It meant they had to be present with families who were living in fear, uniting those who had been divided, returning property that had been stolen, freeing hostages and protecting the victims of violence. During this time they often went where no one else was prepared to go, answering needs no one was prepared to answer. And they did this for both sides because they did not serve one ethnic group or another, politics or self but because they believed they must serve God and love their neighbor. And until the tragic events of the last few months no Brother himself was ever harmed. But the cost of true discipleship as the apostles and martyrs show us is sometimes very great.

In 2002 the Melanesian Brotherhood decided that they could not be involved for providing security for private property and would do their ministry independently of the government or police. Earlier they had withdrawn from working with the Peace monitoring Council for they believed it was weakening their religious and community life. In 2002 the Melanesian Brotherhood was asked if it could help in the process of disarmament of guns and weapons. The Brotherhood thought and prayed about this for several months for they did not want to be used, compromised or manipulated for political purposes. But on Pentecost 2002 it was decided in a meeting of the Brothers at Tabalia that the Melanesian Brotherhood must help in collecting guns for the guns were causing such injustices and social unrest in the nation. The Melanesian Brothers decided with one mind that there could be no chance of true peace in the nation unless the guns were destroyed. During the first five months the response to the Brothers call for the guns to be returned was so great. The Melanesian Brotherhood worked to disarm all sides and this included guns held illegally by members of the police force, Malaitan, Guadalcanal or anyone else holding weapons. The many guns, bullets and bombs handed over to the Brotherhood were taken out to deep sea and sunk in the presence of the Police Commissioner, so that they can never be used again.

In November 2002 in a thanksgiving service at St Barnabas Cathedral the Melanesian Brotherhood ended it's mission for disarmament believing they had done all they could. Six dedicated and disciplined Brothers were chosen to continue to work to co-ordinate the Brothers work for peace and reconciliation in the community and to encourage the often divided and disillusioned police force to work with honesty, justice and unity. By 2003 it was increasingly obvious that the situation on the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal was growing worse. The police force which had been sent to contain Harold Keke and his followers were few in number and had enlisted the support of Keke's opponents and this joint operation was causing it's own problems. There were accusations of burning down of villages and human rights abuses on both sides.

The majority of the Weather Coast people including women and children were confused and afraid, caught between Harold Keke's militants and a joint operation militia which many could not trust.

Brother Nathaniel Sado the first of the Melanesian Brothers to be murdered had gone to visit Keke in February 2003 with two brothers to try and open up a dialogue for peace to try and bring an end to the atrocities in which so many innocent people were suffering. It was obvious that at this stage the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force did not have the numbers, capability or support to re-establish the rule of law and order. Brother Nathaniel knew Keke well and had worked with his brother during the disarmament period. He naively believed that he could help to bring peace. When the other two brothers who were not able to meet with Keke returned, Brother Nathaniel, against their advice decided to stay. He made the mistake of believing that Keke would not harm him. Even when the Brotherhood heard that Nathaniel Sado had been taken captive, the community believed he would not be harmed for Keke had up until this point had usually shown respect for the members of the Brotherhood. On Easter Day, one of Keke's followers who had escaped from him and run away to Mbabanakira reported on SIBC News that Brother Nathaniel Sado had been murdered. When the Brothers heard the news of this death, they were deeply shocked and unsure whether it was true. While the Melanesian Brotherhood had always tried to advocate for others, now there was no one to advocate for them. Given the circumstances, what could the Brotherhood do? If they tried to involve the police this would only inflame the situation. The only way to find out the truth about what had happened was for some Brothers to go themselves and try and find out what had really happened to Brother Nathaniel.

The Assistant Head Brother Robin Lindsay who was responsible for the welfare of all the Brothers in Solomon Islands met with four of those who had been co-coordinating the mission for peace and reconciliation: Brother Francis Tofi, Brother Toni Sirihi, Brother Patteson Gatu and Brother Ini Partabatu and one other Brother Alfred Hill working at Chester Rest house. Together these six made the decision to go in search for their lost brother.
They informed the Archbishop of their decision but did not tell him they were going directly to Harold Keke. He advised them to go only to their Brotherhood Household on the Weather Coast. None of the rest of the community knew they would go direct to Harold Keke himself but presumed they had gone to find out the story from witnesses around Mbabanakira and Kolina Brotherhood Households.

The Brothers' decision to go is one many of us would fear making. But it showed the kind of men these brothers were and it showed their love for God and their people. They all knew the danger of their mission and yet they had decided themselves in prayer to face that danger. Why did they go? It seems too great a sacrifice for anyone to make. I believe they went because they believed the Gospel, not just in word but also in the action of their lives. They believed that the good Shepard must go in search for the one who is lost. They believed that the good Shepard must be willing to even give up his life for the lost sheep. We all know these words but these brothers were prepared to live them. Brother Nathaniel was lost and they decided to go and search for him and bring him home or if he was dead then his body home for burial. Many of us have listened to the demands of the Gospel from the safety of the Church and the action of these brothers challenges us deeply. For we profess a Gospel which at it's heart proclaims a love, a love so great that God is prepared to send his only son who will die for that love. That is how costly that love is. We often compromise the Gospel but perhaps there will be times in our lives when we too will be called to make a decision which requires faith, courage and love and where a failure to act will be to betray all that we believe in and hold to be of God. These Brothers made the decision to go and in that decision they became martyrs of our church and took up the very cross of Christ sharing both in his death and resurrection. Their lives will forever live as an example for us all.

Of one thing I am certain these seven men will live on in the hearts and minds of our community and church. Their sacrifices seem too great, hard to believe. And yet beneath the grief there is a peace too, the knowledge that each of these young men believed in peace and in goodness. They knew that there was a better way. They were prepared to oppose violence and to risk much. At the end of the day they stand against all acts of brutality which are at present dividing our world and bravely, boldly and with love lived the Gospel. Oh how much the World Wide Anglican Church at the moment can learn from their witness. And when such real life issues are so much at stake in our world, is it not this what the Gospel should be? We in the Solomon Islands who have witnessed the pain and darkness and fear that violence and hatred can bring have also been given these 7 Brothers to be our witnesses to the love of God. We have seen their courage and their goodness and we long to belong with them to that same kingdom of light and of love and of God.

And there is resurrection. A few days after announcing the death of our Brothers, Harold Keke surrendered himself and his guns. With the help of the intervention force there is now peace in the Solomon Islands and most guns and weapons have been destroyed. The innocent are now able to return to their homes in peace and the long process of healing has begun. We do not believe all this would have been possible without the sacrifice of our seven beloved Brothers. They must become like seeds which fell upon the ground and died but who will yield the harvest of peace these islands and our worlds so longs for. Do not forget them and the sacrifice they made for us but let the love of Christ continue to inspire all our hearts and lead us all into the ways of peace.

Happy are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.