Seventh-day Adventists are a “creative force” in the society of Papua New Guinea (PNG), said Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, during his two-day visit to this Pacific nation. 

“We hear the story of your faith everywhere,” said the Adventist leader. “I came to feel the pulse of my church here personally.” Paulsen also urged his listeners “to see that members of the Adventist spiritual family” make a “difference in the communities where they live.” Towns and villages where Seventh-day Adventists are “should become better communities because you are there,” Paulsen said.   

“Our church is growing here mainly through the personal testimony of our believers,” explains Pastor Thomas Devai, secretary of the PNG Adventist Church. “What we believe and teach affects the lifestyle and changes people and their communities. We give a testimony to that.”

Paulsen received a warm welcome from state officials and hundreds of Adventist Church members on his arrival at Port Moresby Airport on February 21.

In his welcoming speech at the airport, Michael Ogio, PNG’s deputy prime minister, said that “having recognized the contributions of the churches in all areas of development, one would ask the question: What would Papua New Guinea be like without churches? I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Seventh-day Adventist Church for helping the government in bringing the country to what it is today.”

Later in the evening the first day of his visit, Paulsen told some 12,000 people gathered at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby that he had become “acquainted with my family in Papua New Guinea.”

Those wanting to hear Paulsen speak came throughout the day by the thousands—in spite of the rain, which stopped in time for the meeting. “It was an answer to our prayers. Many prayers,” said Kila Wari, a management consultant from Port Moresby.

Paulsen shared a vision for the church at the beginning of the new millennium. “To be a believer is not a matter of only going to church. God expects us to make a practical contribution, to influence the people in the communities where we live.” He spoke of the church’s “potential to re-shape the society in your country.”

In a statement to the media, Paulsen said he sees Adventists as those who work for the “restoration of human dignity, equality, and unity through the grace of God” which helps “human beings see each other as members of the family of God.”

He also appealed that violence and ethnic tensions “must be replaced by respect and service to others.”

“Do not be drawn into the life of violence,” he told 15,000 people who gathered February 22 in the center of Mt. Hagen in the PNG Highlands. “Violence does not belong in the life of God’s people,” he said.

Paulsen’s visit coincided with a constituency session of the Adventist Church’s Western Highlands Mission. Some 6,000 delegates and church members came to a two-hour meeting with Paulsen. The gathering included a group of prisoners who came with their prison guards and performed two choral items. The prisoners have become Adventist Church members through the prison ministry of the church in the Highlands.

Out of more than 200,000 baptized members in PNG, the majority come from the Highlands, known for its rugged terrain and lush greenery. “The church statistics reveal only a tip of the church’s size and influence in our country,” says Devai. “At least twice as many attend our worship services and functions.”

The Adventist Church’s mission in Papua New Guinea has accelerated in recent years because of new methods in public evangelism, says Devai.  He explains that the presence of the church is also felt in his country because of new media opportunities. “We have a large group of volunteer pastors who reach the remote areas of the country, but these days people are attracted by live broadcasts of religious programs.”

The church leadership, together with public officials, have expressed keen interest in the prospect of having a new religious television channel, an alternative to local television programming. The PNG government granted a television licence in December last year to Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN), an independent Adventist broadcaster from the United States. 3ABN aims to begin broadcasting in the Spring. In this predominantly Christian country, the new station will become popular, church sources say.

Preparations are also under way to host a major international satellite uplink. “Acts 2000: Revelation of Hope” will be broadcast live from the Sir John Guise Stadium in July and will feature evangelist Mark Finley of the “It Is Written” telecast ministry.

“We are expecting 60,000 people in attendance every night and hundreds of thousands more watching the programs throughout the provinces,” says Nat Devenish, coordinator of the event. He says they anticipate that the international broadcast of the 18-evening “Revelation of Hope” series will be watched by a million viewers in Africa. The Adventist Church currently has more than 12,000 downlink sites around the world, on every continent.  The sites are predominantly located in local churches. 

Adventists in PNG are known for more than their use of modern technology for public witnessing; they are also known throughout the country for their contribution to education, which includes the academic program of Pacific Adventist University (PAU), located in Port Moresby. Deputy Prime Minister Ogio referred to PAU as “perhaps the greatest hallmark of the work and commitment” of the Adventist Church. The university is currently pursuing plans to develop a school of business and a new school of health sciences. Ogio reassured the church that “despite the financial constraints we face today” the government will support the educational endeavors of PAU.

During his visit, Paulsen paid a courtesy visit to PNG Governor General, Sir Silas Atopare. Sir Silas said that Paulsen’s visit was “refreshing,” noting the contribution of all churches in supporting the country’s services.  He thanked the Adventist Church internationally for supporting development within the country, both spiritual and physical. “To have world leaders like Pastor Paulsen visiting us is an added blessing,” he said.