The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has taken part in a presentation on global Total Member Involvement (TMI) during the 62nd General Conference Session, even singing an item with members of his group Footprints Ministry during the Friday evening program.
Prime Minister James Marape spent the Sabbath hours at the Session and thanked the church for the invitation to attend.
“I want to say thank you very much for inviting us to be part of the 62nd General Conference Session,” he said. “[The PNG for Christ program] was a success as far as conversion was concerned—[the] work of nurture is still going on.”
He went on to thank the church for their impact on the country during the program.
“From the government’s perspective it was a blessing for us. When we have the most diverse nation on the face of planet Earth, over 836 languages spoken by the 11 million people of my country, all united under Christ coming together, I just want to say thank you very much to the church—from the global church to my own SPD, to my own union mission and all the local missions for pulling together the conversion of over 500,000 people and church interests of a million . . . thank you for your prayers worldwide.
“Thank you very much for all the support that has come to PNG in making it a country that 100 per cent knows the Seventh-day Adventist truth exists.”
Mr Marape then invited outgoing GC president Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife Nancy to join him on stage, presenting them with a framed portrait of Mr Wilson in gratitude for their support. Mr Wilson preached at one of the 2300 sites but also travelled to various parts of the country to present, open churches, dedicate prayer rooms and encourage the church membership.
“The church from the South Pacific want to say thank you very much for the strong leadership. They came up, they led the church up front. He was not only just the president of the global Church, but he was a pastor, an evangelist. . . may God bless your family in your continued ministry for the Lord.
“We are almost 2000 years since Jesus spoke ‘Go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. PNG qualifies as the ends of the earth. We are here presenting the gospel to all of you,” he said.
The Footprint Ministry male vocal group, joined by Mr Marape, then sang the song “You are awesome God”. Mr Marape has been singing with Footprint Ministry since his days as a boarding student at Kabiufa Adventist High School. The group includes Vagi Thoa, Ismael Nombe, Ray Paul and Magaru Riva.
During the half-hour segment, a delegation from PNG, including PNG Union Mission president Pastor Malachi Yani and South Pacific Division president Pastor Glenn Townend, shared stories on the impact of the 2024 PNG for Christ campaign on the country.
Pastor Yani said the church in PNG had been praying for eight years in the lead up to the program, which was delayed four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I believe the Lord will continue to bless the church in your country, my country and around the world.”
Pastor Townend grew up in PNG and his father served as a missionary during the same era as Mr Marape’s father. He told the story of Lae, a town he remembered as having one church 50 years ago, but saw 200,000 people gather for the PNG for Christ programs spread across the city.
Attendees heard a brief testimony from Yank Rut, a businesswoman from Western Highlands Mission, who was the TMI coordinator there. She personally provided 56 PA systems and speakers in all the sites, planted 201 TMI churches in preparation for dedication, supplied 28 sign boards, funded 102 sites, and accommodated international doctors and preachers at her newly built hotel, Mount Ararat in Mount Hagen.
The last to present were Kelvin and Irene Waukave, a lay couple living near Goroka, Eastern Highlands Simbu Mission, who lost his brother to coronavirus in 2020. He said his family had been inspired by Ellen White’s words, that he paraphrased as saying “The work which the church fails to do in times of peace and prosperity, we will have to do in times of crisis.”
The family planted a church in their home using the Discovery Bible Reading method. Their small group was able to meet regularly and studied the Gospels and the book of Acts. They added 98 members during PNG for Christ.
“Our story of small groups represents hundreds and thousands of small groups, small churches, individuals who came together under the banner of Christ—with the strategic foundation of TMI—[which] laid the foundation of more than 300,000 baptisms in PNG in 2024,” said Mr Waukave.
