From December 18 to 31, 2024, more than 4,000 attendees, including church leaders, government officials, and church members from across Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, gathered to commemorate the Bougainville Seventh-day Adventist Mission centennial celebrations. The regional church celebrated 100 years of faith, service, and community impact. Bougainville belongs to Papua New Guinea (PNG), but its landmass is part of the Solomon Islands archipelago.

Attendees to the celebration ranged from a 4-month-old infant to a 94-year-old great-great-grandmother under the theme “Celebrating 100 Years of God’s Story on Bougainville.”

The centennial celebrations unfolded across three historic sites, including Lavelai, where the first missionaries arrived in 1924. It also included Kastorita, where missionaries traveled to by boat and on foot in 1927, and Rumba, Arawa, where the mission office was established in 1929. Each site hosted dedications, unveiling of monuments, three days of revival, historical accounts from pioneering family representatives, and cultural performances, including reenactments of the missionaries’ arrival. Across the sites more than 200 people were baptized.

Prime minister James Marape arrives and inspects the Pathfinders.

Photo: Adventist Record

Monument commemorating the 1924 mission beginnings at Lavelai.

Photo: Adventist Record

Boungainville Mission office headquarters.

Photo: Adventist Record

Leadership and Vision

Government and church leaders attended the celebrations and shared messages of inspiration and vision for the future. Among them was Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape. He shared his personal connection to the legacy of Adventist Mission.

He stated, “If it were not for Bougainville pioneer missionaries who brought the mission to Tari in 1955, I wouldn’t be who or where I am today.” Reflecting on the life-changing impact of the mission, he explained that his pastor father, John Marape, was a direct beneficiary of the Adventist Mission’s work.

The prime minister emphasised, “All mainline churches in PNG should continue to make inroads into communities, villages, and societies to promote peace, education, health, and wholistic living. This is the real mission work of churches.”

Peter Tsiamalili, Jr., minister for police and regional member for Bougainville, underscored the unity and spiritual growth fostered by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, recognizing its significant contribution to the community.

Malachi Yani dedicatory prayer at the monument unveiling at Rumba mission in Awara.

Photo: Adventist Record

Rumba mission baptismal ceremony in Awara.

Photo: Adventist Record

Lavelai villagers at the monument unveiling ceremony.

Photo: Adventist Record

Francesca Semoso, Papua New Guinea parliament member for North Bougainville, highlighted the crucial role of women and children in missionary work, stating, “Discipline starts at home, and our kids become the society we want it to become.”

Timothy Masiu, minister for communication and member for South Bougainville, called for accountability in church leadership, urging pastors to take the lead in promoting peace and goodwill at the community level.

From the church, Malachi Yani, president of Papua New Guinea Union Mission, encouraged Bougainvilleans to amplify their voices and take ownership of their spiritual journey. Likewise, Danny Philip, South Pacific Division discipleship strategy director, challenged the Adventist Church in the Pacific region to lead in driving transformative change wherever they serve, particularly in Bougainville.

The event also unveiled ambitious goals, including the construction of the Green Valley Adventist Pioneer High School in Buin for grades 7-10 and the renovation and ownership transfer of health centers in Kastorita, Wisai, and Darupute, among several others.

Buin District choir at the opening ceremony at Lavelai.

Photo: Adventist Record

Inivus village children’s choir welcome song.

Photo: Adventist Record

Inivus villagers reenacting how the gospel had reached the mountain villages of Larihe and Mutahi.

Photo: Adventist Record

Spiritual and Community Impact

The centennial celebrated the church’s spiritual significance and its enduring impact on the community, regional church leaders explained. “The church reaffirmed its commitment to serving Bougainville and beyond, ensuring that the legacy of faith and service continues for generations,” they said.

The original article was published on the South Pacific news site, Adventist Record.