Nine inmates at Kerevat Correctional Institute in Rabaul were baptised during the Papua New Guinea (PNG) for Christ program.
The Institute’s management allowed only 43 of the more than 500 inmates to attend the evangelistic series.
Guest speaker and chaplain, Pastor Garry Laukei, explained that the prison management were concerned that inmates from other denominations would become Adventist. In response they restricted inmates, both men and women, to their cells. Despite this, nine of the inmates who attended each night were baptised, while 16 inmates from other churches have committed to be baptised before the end of the year.
Inmate and chairman of the United Church at Kerevat Correctional Institute, Aisoli Mitili, said he was convinced by the truths presented throughout the program.
“I would like to request the same messages to be preached for all 500 inmates to know the truth and accept Jesus and not men’s teachings,” Mr Mitili said.
Victor Warley, a baptised Adventist inmate, stated, “I am glad I attended this study to strengthen my faith in Jesus and continue to be in the true church.”
The program ended with 43 copies of The Great Controversy, Movement: Cultivating and Multiplying Disciple-Making Movements and Calvary to Pentecost distributed to the inmates for further study.
The Institute held a farewell dinner on Saturday night to mark the closing of PNG for Christ.
