Carr Memorial Adventist Primary School in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) celebrated its first baptisms on October 3, witnessed by parents, guardians, teachers and community members.
The 21 Grade 8 students made a public demonstration of their faith as pioneers of the school’s new chaplaincy program—in line with pioneer Seventh-day Adventist missionary Septimus Carr, who the school is named after.
It was a time of great joy as the students were baptised in a portable pool situated outside the chapel. According to Principal Nida Bland, “the inclusion of a chaplain has driven further spiritual focus and with the help of our wonderful teachers, today we witness such a gathering.”
Deputy principal and master of ceremonies Laka Batu expressed great joy in thanking the hard-working teachers. “The baptism was a result of the hard work of teachers over the past years in training the students in the fear of God,” he said.“May God be praised!”
The baptism was officiated by the Central Papua Conference’s National Capital District (NCD) director, Pastor Gibson Logia, and Waigani church pastor Aki Pawa. Each baptised student was presented with a gift pack comprising a Bible and a church hymnal to nurture their spiritual journey.
With the inclusion of a chaplain, Dominic Elwin, in Bible classes, plus additional counselling, these baptismal candidates are prepared to meet life in secondary high school next year.
This was the day school’s first campus-led baptism since its establishment in the 1980s and it testifies to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Central Papua Conference. Students from the school have been baptised in the past as each quarter a baptism is held however, the students have been discipled by their local churches. This is the first event held at the school and for the school in partnership with Waigani church. Minister Elwyn is also associate pastor for Waigani church, where children from a non-Adventist background have their membership until they move on from the school.
In 2017, Dr Peter Roennfeldt’s book Following Jesus was given to teachers in Central Papua Conference as well as pastors. The conference reports that “this has contributed to such a rise in spirituality in our children. We praise God for that!”
Recently, Carr Memorial School was awarded a 5-star accreditation by the Adventist Accreditation Association (AAA), the highest result possible. Carr Memorial is also the largest of the Church’s schools in terms of enrolment in the Division.
The school board, administration and teachers wish to thank everyone for their support and ask that they continue to pray for the students and the school.
