Pastor clarifies speculations about Tonde’s status in church

National

THE Seventh-day Adventist Church has clarified that a candidate contesting the Moresby North West seat is not a pastor or an elder of the church.
The SDA church’s Central Papua Conference president Pastor Kove Tau denied that Joseph Joe Tonde, who was wrongly declared as the winner of the seat, was an elder or a pastor.
Tonde finished third behind former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta.
“The Adventist church sees it necessary to speak out against unfounded speculations in both the social and mainstream media accusing and attributing Tonde as a pastor or an elder of the church,” Pastor Tau said
“Tonde is only a member and as an individual citizen, he has exercised his democratic rights and free will to contest like any other citizens in PNG.
“The public must know that Tonde is a person and not an organisation.
“We advise the public to be careful not to attribute anything that is personal to Tonde with the Adventist church.
“The church is an independent entity, peculiar and divine in nature to be misrepresented just as equally as the Gospel.”
Tau also explained that the church required its members holding leadership positions in the church to resign one year before contesting the national election.
“The church records show that he has not tendered any resignation to contest election so that clearly confirms that he is not an elder or a pastor of the Adventist church,” Pastor Kove Tau.