wfn.org | LWF General Secretary Affirms Evangelism Impact of Member

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank_Imhoff@elca.org>]

LWF General Secretary Affirms Evangelism Impact of Member Churches in
Papua New Guinea
Provincial Leaders Welcome Closer Cooperation with Lutheran Church

ENGA, Papua New Guinea/GENEVA, 16 July 2004 (LWI) - Addressing a
festive worship service with more than 4,000 people from the Tsak area
in Enga province at the beginning of an 11-day visit to Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) member churches in Papua New Guinea (PNG), LWF General
Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko affirmed the strong impact that
evangelism has had on the people and communities of PNG. He noted
especially the contributions being made by camps, schools and hospitals
operated by the Gutnius Lutheran Church-Papua New Guinea (GLC-PNG) in
the highlands of Enga province. 

In recognition of the visit and to acknowledge the close relationship
that exists within the LWF as a communion of churches, Dr Noko was
privileged to preside at the baptism of 45 children and young adults
during the service, which also included the confirmation of 20 adults.

A remarkable expression of the worldwide scope of the Lutheran
communion was experienced when the congregation of more than 4,000
formed one large circle around the field as they received the bread and
wine of holy communion. 

The worship service marked the beginning of the LWF delegation's 2-12
July visit to member churches in PNG and was a highlight of the visit
hosted by the GLC-PNG in the highland province of Enga. 

In addition to Dr Noko, the LWF delegation included the LWF Asia
secretary, Rev. Ginda Harahap, who brought special greetings on behalf
of the member churches in the Asia region, which also includes the
Middle East, the Pacific and Australia.

Prior to the arrival of the LWF delegation, close to 9,000 people had
gathered in a one-week church camp, drawing participants from throughout
the area of Tsak in the highlands of PNG. 

Among the more than 4,000 who remained to welcome the LWF delegation,
the Council president of the Tsak area, Mr Johnny Tipitape, acknowledged
the positive impact made by the Lutheran church in the area. He
indicated that the church's evangelism efforts over the past year had
resulted in many people turning away from gambling, one of the major
social problems in the area.

In expressing his government's appreciation for the work of the
Lutheran church in the province, Enga Governor Mr Peter Ipatas indicated
that the government looked forward to working closely with the church.
He challenged the church to continue to play its part.

Following the visit with the GLC-PNG in Enga province, the LWF
delegation left for the coastal province of Morobe where the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG) celebrated on 12 July the
118th anniversary of the arrival of the first Lutheran missionary in New
Guinea. 

There are two LWF member churches in PNG. The Gutnius Lutheran Church -
Papua New Guinea (GLC-PNG), with a membership of 138,000, joined the LWF
in 1979. Its bishop is Rev. David P. Piso and the church headquarters
are in Wabag, Enga province. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua
New Guinea (ELC-PNG), with a membership of 815,000, joined the LWF in
1976. Its bishop is Rev. Dr Wesley Kigasung and the church headquarters
are in Lae, Morobe province. 

(Based on a report by Yakam Kelo, Papua New Guinea.)	

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing 62.3 million of the almost 66
million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights,
communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the
dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
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