Papua NewGuinea Church Partnership Easter 2015 Newsletter

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PNGCP is the UK-based mission agency dedicated to raising awareness and support for the Anglican Church in PNG

PORT MORESBY BISHOP-ELECT On Saturday 21st March 2015, Fr Denny Bray Guka was elected by ACPNG to be the 6th Bishop of Port Moresby. He will be consecrated on 24th May, Pentecost Day. For the first time the whole of the ACPNG House of Bishops (5 diocesans and one archbishop) will be PNG nationals. Aged 53, Fr Denny is from Ambasi in Oro Province, but has served in Port Moresby Diocese all his working life. Currently he is Vicar General of the Diocese, Anglican Chaplain at the University of PNG, and Chairman of the PNG Council of Churches. He is also a Board Member of Anglicare PNG Inc. and has previously represented ACPNG at Anglican meetings in Scotland and Kenya. Fr Denny is married to Marinda from Gona in Oro Province. They have four children: Madona and Elizabeth who are university students; and Michael and David still at school. Bishop Peter Ramsden said, "I'm delighted that Fr Denny will succeed me as Bishop of Port Moresby. He was a wonderful support and friend to me and Sue, has been

involved with Anglicare since its inception and has a special concern for Mission and Training."

See Sue Ramsden’s “Tailpiece” on Page 4.

The Challenges of a UK Return

Sue Ramsden writes: “Our first weeks back in Britain felt just like being on leave, as we caught up with family and friends and had a rest. But, by January, it had sunk in that we would not be going back, particularly when our sea-cargo arrived - in the

snow! As we unpacked all the bilums and tapacloth given to us when we left, they seemed like alien objects from a different world! But PNG is a different "world" - one where some people have made it but where most people struggle daily: a far cry from Britain with its nationwide availability of power, water, roads, transport, hospitals, schools, supermarkets and state pensions - most of which PNG does not have in a reliable form. So what challenges does the UK present?

Some are common: making friends in a new place; keeping a home warm and well maintained; or dealing with tiresome phone companies. Also, like many others, we have the challenge of keeping Peter's mum in her own home using Britain's care industry (an unimaginable concept in PNG). Others, though, are different: after another 8 years in PNG, Britain has moved on again in our absence and there's new technology, new TV programmes, even new vocabulary to learn. We remind each other that people do not expect to shake hands all the time here, and that we should not say something is "bagarap" when broken! But a bigger challenge is probably returning to a country not particularly interested in Christianity - from one that has a Christian Constitution, a State/Church development partnership, and churches filled with men, women and children. We now see the difficulties of ministry in rural Cumbria as each Sunday Peter and two other retired clergy help our vicar by celebrating and preaching to maybe a dozen elderly faithful in one of the 10 little stone chapels in her care. No children: the locals' offspring have all left to find jobs. Christian Aid's 2015 Lent Appeal is called "Count Your Blessings" and links our actions such as turning on a tap to lives in other "worlds". PNG has made us aware of how hugely we in Britain are blessed: so another challenge is not to forget that.”

Papua New Guinea Church Partnership Easter 2015 Newsletter

Fr Denny and Marinda at younger son David’s confirmation in 2012

Bishop Peter and Sue Ramsden equipped for

winter at home in rural Cumbria

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Aipo Rongo Fact-file: The Diocesan Office is in Mt Hagen, at 5,600’ in the

Western Highlands

25 of the 34 parishes are in remote rural locations, with two isolated ‘mission areas’

The parishes, and the 300+ associated chapels and out-stations, are served by 34 Priests, a Deacon and some 200 trained Catechists

Four more Priests work as Lecturers or Chaplains in Church institutions in the diocese

Three diocesan students are currently training to be priests at Newton College

In 2014, +Nathan conducted 145 adult baptisms and 510 confirmations

Diocesan services include 60 Elementary Schools, 21 Primary Schools, a High School and a Vocational Training Centre, together with Aid-posts and three Health Centres

Diocese of Aipo Rongo

Geographically, Aipo Rongo Diocese is the most extensive and diverse of ACPNG’s five dioceses. It stretches from coastal Lae, PNG’s second largest town and location of the Anglican National Office on the East coast, through the 400-mile length of the Highlands Highway to the Western Highlands capital of Mt Hagen and beyond to Mendi and the remote Porgera gold-mines. It also includes the jungles, plantations and mines of the Ramu Valley and the coastal stretch between Madang, Wewak and East Sepik in the North. With mountains up to 15,000’, vast tracts of pristine forest and major, largely inaccessible mineral deposits, it was not until the early 1950’s that the first ‘whiteskins’, Australian gold-prospectors, arrived in the Highlands. They were surprised to find a large population living there, with a way of life that had changed little over the centuries. Inter-tribal fighting was commonplace

between the numerous clans and tribes, with ‘payback’ or acquisition of pigs, land, women and children the usual intention. The Anglican Church came into these Highlands as recently as 1958. One of its earliest representatives there was Bishop David Hand, who in 1977 was to become the first Primate of the newly created Anglican Province of Papua New Guinea. It is credited with bringing peace to many of the communities that accepted its form of Christianity. Communication, travel and finance are major challenges to development in this diocese. This impacts in many ways, including: access to health-care, news and electricity; difficulties in recruiting teachers; developing a local cash-economy when access to markets is difficult; restricted diet; limited world-view; illiteracy and low-status amongst women. With so few roads, getting around the diocese involves access by MAF small plane to the nearest airstrip and tough, lengthy walking. Radio communication is particularly important in the diocese.

After three years of preparation by the Melanesian Brothers, and following a

tough two-day mountain walk from the nearest airstrip, Bishop Nathan preparing to baptise the first Christians at Moval, Ilu Momusi

Parish Priest, Fr Samson, and Simbai MU Members

Diocesan MU participants at ‘Women against Violence’ Protest in Mt Hagen

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The present Diocesan Bishop, Nathan Ingen, was previously Assistant Bishop at Simbai, one of two ‘barefoot bishops’ appointed by his predecessor, Archbishop James Ayong. Today, because of financial constraints, +Nathan leads the diocese from the Anglican compound in Mt Hagen without episcopal support. His wife, Jessica, long a hardworking stimulator of diocesan Mothers Union and literacy programmes, is one of ACPNG’s two Gender Equality Officers, responsible for Aipo Rongo and New Guinea Islands dioceses. Rural clergy allowance is a hot financial issue for the Diocese. Because of financial constraints, rural priests have not received any diocesan support since 2000 and have to live mainly on what they grow in their food-gardens. Some clergy wives have deserted because of the hardship involved. Children’s education is now free, but there is the occasional resignation of an effective and respected Priest in order for him to get his retirement benefits to fund his child’s tertiary education. The urban parishes run their own administration and, depending on their finances, are able to pay their priests between £1,500 - £3,000 a year to cope with the costs of town-life. With so many rural parishes with little or no cash economy, this extensive diocese is reliant for its running costs on income from the urban parishes, from a handful of elderly rental properties in Madang and Lae and, until recently, from rent from the Star Restaurant in Mt Hagen. In a bid to pay a modest allowance to rural clergy, fund the diocesan mission programmes, and upgrade the rental properties, +Nathan initiated the construction of an income-generating transit-house on the diocesan compound. Unfortunately, this move towards diocesan self-sufficiency was offset in October 2014 by a fire, caused by an electrical-fault, that completely destroyed eight commercial properties, including the Star Restaurant, along one side of the town’s main street. +Nathan reports that a number of the diocese’s programmes have had to be suspended, or reduced,

because of the changed financial circumstances. Youth Work, once one of the strengths of the diocese, has been adversely affected by the laying off of the Diocesan Youth Coordinator. With some 3,200 Aipo Rongo members, the Mothers Union continues to grow at local level but the function and travel of the current Provincial MU President, Aipo Rongo’s Ida Baure, is seriously restricted due to finances. Over the past 15 years, the Diocesan adult literacy programme, involving many MU members, has seen over 500 women (and some men) successfully graduate. For more than ten years now, the diocesan HIV & AIDS programme has been raising awareness through trained Peer Educators; providing support through MU Home-based Carers; and enabling access to Counselling and Testing. The management of this, together with the Gender Equality work, has recently been passed to Anglicare PNG, which was already running centres in Lae, Mt Hagen and Wabag.

New Transit & Tourist house awaiting completion

World AIDS Day celebration in the Anglican Parish of Barimba

Bishop Nathan after Baptism and Confirmation Ceremony at Aredep

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Dates for your Diary: We are planning to hold further London-based

Social Events, with speakers, on 9th May & 26th September this year.

PNGCP, ACPNG & PNG News

PNGCP’s much-appreciated Hon. Treasurer, Lesley French, recently resigned prior to her retirement move away from

London

In the last financial year, generous PNGCP supporters contributed £1,500 more than in 2013, with the charity’s volunteer-run administration ensuring that 93p of every £1 went directly to support the work of ACPNG. Thank you all on behalf of ACPNG!

Following his retirement and return home from PNG, past PNGCP Vice-Chair Bishop Peter Ramsden has rejoined the PNGCP Management Committee

Norwich Diocese, as part of their direct Companion Link with ACPNG, raised over £19,000 in their 2014 Lent Appeal. Of this, £6,000 will provide theological reading materials for Newton College and £4,000 has gone to Archbishop Clyde Igara for his discretionary use.

Three dioceses supporting ACPNG - Norwich (England), Waiapu (New Zealand) and Rockhampton (Australia) – are joining together for a pilgrimage to see the work of ACPNG this August. After visiting Brisbane and Port Moresby, they will divide for visits to Aipo Rongo, New Guinea Islands and Dogura, before jointly celebrating Martyrs’ Day in Popondota Diocese

PNG now has the highest birth-rate in the Pacific Region, throwing additional strain on the country’s infrastructure and services

In a concerning development, the PNG Government has voted to adopt capital punishment

Popondetta General Hospital is welcoming news of a £3 million PNG Government grant to upgrade the hospital and rebuild the operating theatre destroyed by fire in 1992

Tailpiece – POM Bishop-Elect Sue Ramsden recalls that Fr Denny once told her that he owed his secondary education - and everything which that brought - to a 50 toea piece (about 12p)! He won a coveted place at Martyrs' School, but towards the end of his first year there, his parents told him they couldn't afford any more fees so he would have to withdraw. It so happened that the headmaster had told the school about the terrible famine then ravaging Ethiopia, and had encouraged the boys to give donations for relief. Denny had only 50 toea of his own for the bus fare home at the end of term. He decided that he could walk home instead, and took the coin to the headmaster's study. Whereupon the headmaster said that he had just received a letter from a woman in Australia offering to

pay school fees for a pupil that couldn't afford them. He passed the letter to Denny, and she became Denny's benefactress for the remainder of his time at school, although they never met.

CAN YOU HELP us find a new volunteer Treasurer, also willing to be a Trustee attending quarterly Board meetings in London? Meetings apart, the time commitment is 3-4 hours a month. The role would suit a qualified accountant, or one qualified by experience, and preferably with an interest in PNG. Reasonable Trustee’s expenses will be paid. PLEASE, if you know anyone who might be interested, get in touch with Acting Treasurer, Gill Wilkinson, [email protected] Tel. 0118 9710127 for an informal chat or job description.

With grateful thanks to the following for their contributions and help in compiling this Newsletter: +Nathan & Jessica Ingen; +Peter & Sue Ramsden; Martin Gardham; Peter Milburn; Jasper Rea – and to the Scottish Episcopal Church for Newsletter sponsorship. Any comments, queries or ideas to the Editor, John Rea [email protected]

Papua New Guinea Church Partnership Registered Charity Number 249446

PNGCP, St Andrew’s House, 16 Tavistock Crescent, London W11 1AP Email: [email protected] Tel: 0207 313 3918

Fr Denny and Marinda with Archbishop Justin and Caroline Welby