PNG 50 Years Anniversary Celebration Speech
The Contribution of the ELC-PNG to Nation Building
Rev. Dr. Jack Urame – Head Bishop, 5th September 2025, Martin Luther Seminary
Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, guests and visitors,
As we stand together to celebrate as a church and as a nation we pay homage to our forefathers and mothers who have settled on this island and given us this land as a gift. We pay respect to those who have laid the social, economic and spiritual foundations of our nation. We pay respect to our founding fathers who put the pieces together into a nation in 1975.
This September marks an important moment in the political history of our country. 50 years is a millstone journey. We take this moment of our celebration to reflect back on our journey. We can see so many traces we have left behind: of success and failures, of growth and stagnation, of positive achievements and struggles, of joy and challenges.
Historical reflection
Today we celebrate for three reasons: firstly, we want to appreciate our journey as an independent nation and express our gratitude of our long journey. In the 16th century, we were discovered by European navigators. In the late 1800s we were colonized by the German and the British empires. Then we became a territory of Australia. The Germans gave up their control in 1914. In 1964 the concept of central government was born with the inauguration of the first Haus of Assembly, followed by the second Haus of Assembly in 1968. Gradually we moved towards autonomy when self-government was introduced in 1972. By 1975 we declared independence, the beginning of political freedom from foreign powers and influence. We became an independent state of Papua New Guinea we remain so in the last 50 years.
The political movements before 1975 became the foundations, which shaped us to be what we are today. This was the first phase of our political journey. We thank those who led us through to 1975. Many are not around to celebrate with us but I believe a handful are still living to witness the country reaching 50 as an independent nation.
The second phase of our political journey started on 16th September 1975. This was the moment when the Australian flag was lowered and our PNG flag was raised. It was a movement when we recognized ourselves as a nation with self-determination for the future. It was a moment when our country was born out of the dreams of our fathers and mothers and out of the aspirations and collective effort of our past leaders.
Our journey and experiences
Therefore, in the last 50 years we have been looking forward to a brighter and better future. Today, as we celebrate, we are still looking for a better future. Today as we share the joy of nationhood, we are still asking the same questions that were asked in 1975. What kind of a future do we anticipate for our nation? What kind of a future do we want to create for our children?
In the last 50 years, we have created many stories of our political journey, therefore we celebrate today to look back and trace our journey. What happened in the last 50 years are not only history but also lessons to remind us of the past to reorganize ourselves and shape a better future. From 1975 to 2025, we have accumulated experiences of positive changes as well as negative challenges. We have accumulated experiences of joy as well as suffering of our people. We have accumulated experiences of economic growth as well as setbacks. We have accumulated experiences of good developments as well as bad developments. We have accumulated experiences of unity in extreme diversity but also social fragmentation.
When we turn 50, it’s a moment to look back and reflect on those experiences and turn them into concrete actions. We must turn our experience of suffering into joy, of negative development into progressive development, of bitterness into pleasure, of setback into growth, of regression into progress. Sure, we can turn our negative experiences into positive action. This is the moment we must rethink, reorganize and reset the future of our country.
Our contribution to Papua New Guinea
We take pride in our country; therefore, we celebrate as a faith based community, which we call the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG. We are a unique church with a unique history. Our history in PNG began not 50 years ago but 139 years ago. We became a local church not 50 years ago but 69 years ago. We became an autonomous local church in 1956, almost two decades ahead of the country’s independence. We were leading the way on the path to localization, self-determination, self-governing and local responsibility and ownership. We became the model of our nation in many things.
From 1956 onwards, we took many of the responsibilities from the hands of foreign missionaries. We took over the role of leadership in congregations, in business, in development, in proclaiming the Gospel, in establishing local congregations, in creating peace and empowering local communities across the country.
The transition from a mission field of foreign missionaries to a local church was achieved early because of trust, respect, dedication and commitment. The missionaries laid the foundation and our own indigenous people built the church up to what it is today. Today we claim a membership of two million people with 17 districts and many more circuits, parishes and congregations spreading across the country from the lowlands to the highlands, from the valleys to the mountains and from the cities to the most remote parts of the country. Today we continue to break new grounds, expanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ, reaching communities in remote places and touching people’s lives and empowering them.
Our foundation is solid because it is laid on the Word of God. Therefore, we continue the mission in witness and service for our people in this country. We continue to witness the good news of peace, love, reconciliation and justice. In witness and service, we have reached some of the most remote parts of this country, places like Kabum, Kaintiba, Marawaka, Karimui, Jimi, West Papua Boarder, along the Purari River, and many more. We have transformed their lives of many Papu New Guineans through the Gospel of Christ and through social services like education, health care, community empowerment in agriculture, economic and infrastructure.
Those who went to those places climbed rugged terrains, crossed fast flowing rivers, walked through thick valleys, penetrated deep into jungles to reach people, touch their lives and made them to be part of the larger Christian community, a part of PNG, and part of the larger global human family. We have achieved so much. We have left a legacy of a transformed society in PNG.
We celebrate today not because of our achievements but because of our contribution to nation building. The Lutheran Church among many other churches were forerunners of development and nation building. The churches came around the same time as the colonial forces. The churches brought not only the Gospel but also western civilization, new economic and social models. They went out and preached the Gospel, taught the people Christian values, established schools, built health centers and hospitals, built plantations, airstrips and other infrastructures.
They did not wait for the government. They did not ask the government to do it for them. They did not ask for financial and material assistance. They worked independently from the government and laid the foundation for social and economic development of the country. Many of the foundations they laid are still standing today. You can see church schools and church heath facilities. You can see airstrips, roads and other infrastructures built by the churches.
Many of the educated people and high profile people in the country today are educated by the churches or they passed through church schools and institutions. The churches contributed immensely to the human resource capacity of the country and continue to do so. The churches created an enabling environment for character formation and discipline life. The churches formed, mold, shaped and groomed Christian citizens and Christian leaders for this country.
ELCPNG, among other churches contributed to nation building in a number of ways. We provide health care for our people, schools for our young children, colleges for teachers and health workers training, theological schools for pastoral training. Besides these, we continue to empower communities through literacy programs, youth programs, women programs, agriculture and other community empowerment programs.
We join the citizens of this beautiful country and look back on our journey. We see positive footprints of societal transformation. We are inspired by those positive footprints to celebrate today. That is not to say that we have come this far with joy but we also admit our failures, our challenges and our setbacks. While our achievements inform us to continue the good work we are doing for our country our failures, our challenges and our setbacks remind us to rethink, reorganize and reset the course of our journey into the next 50 years and beyond.
Our effort today
Our past reminds us to rethink, reorganize and reset. Today is the time to translate our words into action, our ideas into products, and our dreams into reality. This is our immediate task today. We must not continue to dream for the future. We must not continue to talk about the future. We must not continue to imagine the future because the future will not come. Today we must create the future. Today we must shape the future, translate our words into action and turn our dreams into reality. We must translate our ideas into products and see results.
The church we enjoy today, and the country we live in today have been created by those who were ahead of us. They have done their bit. We must do our bit now. Today it is our turn to create the future. We must work hard. In order to work hard and create a better future we must discipline ourselves and do the right thing. We must change our habit of laziness and become industrious, change our habit of drug use and abuse and become useful citizens of our country, change our habit of violence and murder, become peaceful, change our habit of corruption and live a noble life. We must change our habit of dishonesty and live a honest life. Change our negative habits and develop positive attitude.
As we turn 50 our efforts must aim towards positive change and progress. We must change from the negative habits that destroy our country. The change must start from within us. Leaders must discipline themselves and stop corruption and provide honest leadership. Citizens must stop their bad habits and live a meaningful life. Change is necessary if we want to create a better future. Without change a better future is not promising.
Collaboration between the church and government
The challenges we face in our country today demands a strong partnership and collaboration between the government and the churches. We should not be partners by name but in real dialogue, cooperation and collective action if we want a change. The government alone cannot solve all the problems in our country. Churches alone cannot solve the problem of our country. Both institutions, church and state must work together and respond to the challenges confronting us.
The task of overcoming the challenges we face today and creating a better future is our collective responsibility. We must all act. We must work. We must keep ourselves busy. We must address the challenges we face as a nation.
We have heard big talks and big speeches from our political leaders but we see little change. We hear about big political and economic ideas but we see little change. We see big groundbreaking ceremonies but we see little progress. We hear big commitments of money in millions but we see little change. We hear about national budget in billions but we see little transformation.
Our challenges have accumulated over the years. Political instability continues. Corruption has increased. Violence in different forms has increased. Unemployment has increased. Economic inequality continues to divide people between the rich and the poor. Youth disorientation has increased. Social and ecological injustice has increased. The number of children on the street has increased. Family instability and social fragmentation has increased. As we celebrate, a mother is in labor pain behind the mountains where there is no health center, a father is walking for days to come into town, a child is begging on the street because there is no food, no home, no love and care, a youth is knocking on the door to find a job, a girl is sexually assaulted, a family is under threat due to violence, a community is robbed of their peace due to ethnic conflict, a mother cannot feed her children well because there is no food, a family cannot afford school fee because it is so expensive, a patient is waiting in pain to die because there is no medicine, and the list goes on.
These challenges are our present realities, which we cannot ignore as if everything is ok. The challenges we face as a nation affect us and prevent us from growth and progress. Without addressing them, we cannot move on expecting a better future.
The government, church and the civil society must work together to address the challenges confronting us. Through collaboration and through collective effort we can address the challenges, but not by big words and grand speeches but by taking little practical steps through discipline, honesty, humility and service for our people.
Leaders in different sectors of our society, from the national parliament to the village community must admit their failures, correct their mistakes and provide honest and humble leadership. Leaders must change their culture of thinking about themselves and begin to think about the people, the communities, and the nation, and work for the common good.
Overcoming the challenges and creating a better future requires a collective effort from the Government, Church, NGOs, Private sectors and civil society. We all live in the same country in the same space, and challenges are our collective concern, therefore it must be our collective action to address the challenges.
Everyone can contribute to a better future through simple actions. Change does not start outside but it must begin within us. Therefore, we are all responsible for our own actions and thoughts. A change of mindset and a change of behavior can transform our nation. We do not need millions of Kina to change the country and create a better future. It must start from the way we think and act. If we all start small by saying “NO” to negative behavior, we can change our communities and transform our country. If we all start small by changing our mindset and worldview, we can change our society and transform our country.
Ecumenical cooperation between the churches
As we celebrate 50 years of nationhood, we appreciate the role of the church in this country. Churches have strong foundation and they continue to remain a strong development partner of the government of PNG. Churches have done a lot and they can do more but they are limited by resources too. Churches cannot do big developments but they can do many other things to transform the lives and communities.
We appreciate the positive contributions of the churches for the development of the country. While the churches are doing well we also realize our own challenges of conflicts because of confessional or other difference. We must put the differences aside and work together in the true spirit of unity and solidarity. In the recent repentance day our theme was on unity, reconciliation and resetting the future.
Because the constitution of our country allows freedom of religion, movements and expression of thoughts, the number of churches and religious movements continue to increase. The church appears to be a diving force than a unity force. We are leading God’s people into many religious paths and confusing the people. Instead of leading people to God and building up unity, we are leading them to our own religious communities and dividing them.
Despite this, we must always seek to create space for dialogue. We must respect each other and work together. We must continue to promote ecumenical dialogue and cooperation. When we are united and work together our people will unite. This will contribute to our collective effort to create a united country in diversity.
The future we want
50 years must not be years of lost opportunities, lost resources, lost generations, lost vision and lost dreams for our nation. It must be 50 years of great lessons. What we have seen, experienced, and felt in the last 50 years must become our motivation to move into the future with determination, conviction, aspirations and hope.
Our challenges must not become our obstacles and distort us from our journey into the future but they must serve as lessons to reposition our journey, rebuild our development strategies, and revitalize our dreams and aspirations for a better PNG.
To build a better PNG our leaders must manage the recourse of this country well, be honest with the way they handle public money, and make wise decisions to lead this country. Churches must continue to inspire people with the Gospel of peace, reconciliation and unity. The civil society must take positive actions and move in a positive direction. Together we can build a better PNG.
The future we must aim to build must be a different future, not one filled with suffering but one filled with peace, justice and harmony. The future we want is not a gloomy and fragmented one, but a brighter future, with thriving communities, flourishing families, blooming society and a prosperous and progressive nation.
To create that future it requires our collective will, determination, discipline and positive action. With a united front, we can build the future we desire today. With conviction and strength, we can move into the future with new impulse and new hope.
The future for our children
The ELCPNG’s motor for the 50 years anniversary celebration is: “Celebrating the past, Inspiring the future!” So let me conclude by reminding ourselves of the responsibility we have for our children. Our children are the future of our nation. We must not leave the future with problems for our children to solve or suffer. We must not let our children have headache solving problems we create today. Therefore, every action and decision we make today must be done in consideration of our children tomorrow.
We must solve our own problem today and let our children enjoy tomorrow. Children are not born to suffer but to enjoy a life of peace and justice. Therefore, it is our duty to create that environment for them. They must enjoy a decent home, a peaceful community, a resilient society and a prosperous county.
The past belonged to our forefathers and parents, and the present belongs to us. The future belongs to our children. The present is the product of the past. The future will be the product of the present. Therefore, in the spirit of unity and solidarity as one nation, one people, one country let us move on with a renewed spirit of hope. When we rethink, reorganize, re-strategize and rebuild the present fragmented pieces of our country, the future is promising. We will leave our present and our unborn children with a better future, a better PNG than we see today. A better future, a better PNG is possible. God bless PNG!
I wish you all a joyful celebration!
Thankyou!
I was very blessed 🙏 with the message of the head bishop it really meant something to us as the church (ELC’PNG). The story and history of PNG 🇵🇬 as an independent state can not be what it is today without the history and contributions of the church history…..