National Housing Corporation (NHC) land that was bought by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lae (Papua New Guinea) in 1987 was issued land titles on Sunday July 19, after 33 years of waiting.
As reported by EMTV, Buimo Road Adventist Church signed the land transfer titles agreement with the NHC in 2006—after 19 years of waiting—and then waited another 14 years for the NHC to officially complete the transfer of titles through the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.
The Church has been using the government-owned land in the meantime.
The Minister for Lands and Lae MP, John Rosso, officially handed over the land title to a young church member and two pioneers of the church at an official ceremony.
Papua New Guinea Union Mission president Pastor Kepsi Elaido said the titles would come under the Papua New Guinea Adventist Association.
“It was a struggle for more many years until now that we see the fruits of our efforts and this will further boost church’s initiative to develop the land for the benefit of all,” he told The National.
Morobe Mission president Pastor Blasius Managos said with the land titles secured, they would build a new church, a pastor’s house and a community multi-purpose hall. He assured Rosso that the Morobe Mission would partner with his office and the Lae development authority for the project.
Lae District has supported the church with $20,000 kina, and a former youth of the church also donated $30,000 kina towards the building construction.
Buimo Road Adventist Church was established at the Bundi Camp area in 1987, after the land was bought off from NHC.
According Mr Rosso, 33 years was too long for the church to wait in order to receive their title, and he acknowledged the hard work of its elders in finally acquiring the titles to the land.
