Papua New Guinea
Date Entered: 1967
Major Ministries: Church planting, theological education, tribal evangelism, youth work
Country Profile
Population: 5,931,769
Peoples: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Politics: Constitutional parliamentary democracy
Religion: Roman Catholic 27%, Evangelical Lutheran 19.5%, United Church 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, Pentecostal 8.6%, Evangelical Alliance 5.2%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.5%, other Protestant 8.9%, Bahai 0.3%, indigenous beliefs and other 3.3% (2000 census)
In 1975 Papua New Guinea was released from Australia’s governmental supervision under the Trusteeship of the United Nations and gained full independence with a parliamentarian form of government and membership in Britain’s Commonwealth.
Many diverse and distinct tribes inhabit this vast area, still inhibiting unification of the country as a whole. However, New Guinea Pidgin and English are now widely used in government and in education, helping break down strong tribal divisions, and directing national focus on the country as a whole.
A missionary S.O.S. from Goroka, the bustling, mid-island capital, drew ABWE to this emerging nation in 1967. As recently as 1949 there were no permanent houses where 15, 000 people now reside. A constant shuttle of jet aircraft and a surfaced, all-weather road from the port city of Lae bring imported goods to the Highland Provinces. There, the elements of space-age culture, computerization, and cell phones compete with heathenism, which is never far below the surface.
Thus Papua New Guinea provides a wide variety of missionary opportunities, ranging from pioneer tribal evangelism to urban church planting. Churches have been established in three Highland provinces and in the city of Port Moresby on the south coast. Evangelism among high school and college students is a fruitful ministry.
As additional missionaries are added to the ABWE team and national workers continue to be trained, evangelism must be expanded through tribal groups who comprise unreached target areas.
A fruitful response to the gospel continues to encourage ABWE missionaries to intensify their efforts in reaching Papua New Guineans for Christ.