Papua New Guinea Sees Record-Breaking Baptisms
18 September 2024 |
Papua New Guinea (PNG) saw a record number of baptisms during its PNG for Christ program, which caused the South Pacific Division (SPD) to partner with the Papua New Guinea Union Mission to provide resources and support for the new believers. Resources such as 100,000 World Changer Bibles with reading guides, 1 million gift bookmarks, 50,000 harvest model booklets, and 50,000 new disciple retention guidebooks are being sent to support the church’s rapid growth.
Dr. Sven Östring, SPD ministry and strategy director, revealed the scale of the investment in a statement with Adventist Record:
“We have mobilized USD$1.3 million ($A2 million) worth of resources because it’s critically important to assist the local teams as they manage the vast number of people who have joined the Church due to PNG for Christ. However, this level of investment still doesn’t meet the need, and we encourage local churches and church members to donate to follow-up efforts.”
The resources are predominately for visual learning, allowing for greater understanding and lasting retention, since literacy ratings in rural areas are lower and technology is a rare luxury rather than a daily tool. The resources were designed to meet the needs of those who have often slipped through the cracks or have been written off as an afterthought. One of their main investments has been children ministries, creating teaching tools and training methods for the teachers across PNG to implement in cities and rural villages, ensuring no one is left alienated.
Those in leadership recognize that baptism is only the beginning, and from there the church must nurture, support, and guide the new congregants as they step into their faith walk. 170,854 people were baptized during PNG for Christ, the largest on record for PNG, and some churches still haven’t shared their numbers. Among the resources sent are an additional 200,000 baptismal certificates to keep up with the steady increase in baptisms.
The PNG for Christ initiative is more than an isolated program but the beginning of a larger cycle of evangelistic teaching. In their efforts, those involved hope to make themselves available to their growing community of believers and connect in a way that will encourage new believers to continue learning.
