Aiming to empower Adventists to become effective disciples and disciple-makers for Jesus, the Papua New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM) launched the Discipleship Empowerment Team and strategy on April 2 at the PNG University of Technology’s Rose Kekedo Hall in Lae, Morobe province.
More than 500 church leaders of all ages attended the launch, held at the end of a week of discipleship training for Sabbath school, personal ministries, youth, children, women and family life ministries leaders from the nine local missions and one conference that make up PNGUM.
Addressing the gathering, South Pacific Division discipleship strategy Leader Pastor Danny Philip called on local churches and institutions to effectively participate in disciple-making. “The Seventh-day Adventist local church should be a workshop where everyone is involved in some form of activity,” said Pastor Philip.
“The church should not be a museum. The church is a place of duty, involvement and participation. It is the place where a lot of noise about disciple-making is made. The core business of the church is multiplying disciples. Seventh-day Adventist institutions must be involved in disciple-making,” he added, offering a prayer for all leaders across PNGUM.
PNGUM president Pastor Malachi Yani also spoke at the event, urging attendees to work together to “win disciples”.
“The right time to do ministry is now. Do not wait for big things to happen. Where is your priority when you are a disciple?” he said.
