The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) is preparing for both the National Pastors and Evangelists Conference and the National Youth Conference in 2026 after the two gatherings were postponed from 2025.
The 16th ELCPNG National Pastors and Evangelists Conference is scheduled to be held from June 21 to 25, 2026, at Komba High School in Ukata District, Morobe Province. The conference will bring together pastors and evangelists from the church’s 17 districts for renewal and leadership, and it will take the 2026 Synod theme, “We Are Free, Stand Firm,” which is the normal practice for national church gatherings to follow the Synod theme.
The ELCPNG National Youth Conference is also being planned for Mu Lutheran Primary School in Sinasina-Yongomugl District, Simbu Province, during the Term Two holiday. The church is proposing June 21 to 25, 2026, for the youth gathering, but the dates are still under discussion and may change before a final decision is made. The conference is expected to bring together students from tertiary institutions, secondary schools and church youths, and it will also take the 2026 Synod theme, as is normally done for such church events.
Both the National Youth Director, Mr. Tony Kundang and the Assistant Bishop Rev. Kedabing expressed that both conferences are important for strengthening the life of the church, with the pastors gathering aimed at renewing and equipping church workers for ministry, while the youth conference is intended to give young people an opportunity to meet, encourage one another, learn together and grow in their Christian faith.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) has four national events in its church calendar: the National Women’s Conference, the National Youth Conference, the National Pastors Conference and the National Synod. These are biennial national events, with the National Pastors Conference and National Youth Conference scheduled for odd-numbered years, while the National Women’s Conference and the National Synod are held in even-numbered years.
The last National Pastors Conference and National Youth Conference were held in 2023, while the previous National Synod and the last National Women’s Conference were held in 2024. This meant that the next pastors and youth conferences were due to be held in 2025. However, both events were postponed mainly because of nationwide activities marking Papua New Guinea’s Golden Jubilee anniversary. They were first moved to later in the year, but with the church also preparing for Synod, they have now been pushed to 2026.
As a result, 2026 is the first time all four major national events of the ELCPNG are being held in the same year — the National Synod, the National Women’s Conference, the National Pastors Conference and the National Youth Conference.
The National Synod has already taken place in January this year, while the National Women’s Conference is set to be held in September as scheduled under the normal church calendar.
