Church to celebrate 50th jubilee in Lake Kopiago

 THE Christian Brethren Church which helps in education, health and other services apart from it spiritual service in Hela, will celebrate its 50th jubilee this year.

The celebration will be in Lake Kopiago district from April 2-8.

Pioneer missionaries from New Zealand Ian Armitage, Ron Whitehead, Allan Nicholson, Brian Telford and his wife Helen travelled to the remote village of Aron, which shares borders with Western, Enga, East and West Sepik, on Aug 1, 1964, to establish the first church there.

Chairman of the celebration organising committee Daniel Numaya told The National in Mt Hagen yesterday that a week of celebration would attract people from around the country.

Numaya said Brian and Helen Telford would arrive on March 18 for the celebrations. The other pioneer missionaries have passed away.

Numaya said the missionaries played a vital role in taking Christianity into the remotest part of the country. He said they established vital services where government services were non-existent and they included the Guale Primary School, the Guale, Kelabo and Aron health centres, the Aron and Awi airstrips, Aron Bible School and a midwifery programme. 

Numaya said his committee was preparing for the golden jubilee.

“I want to appeal to the Hela provincial government, local MP and people from Lake Kopiago living throughout the country and aboard to assist the committee in cash and kind. He said church during the last 50-years used its own money and resources to serve the people in remote areas and during this time, his committee wants the government to recognised its contribution.

He said that anyone wishing to assist can call him on 72090787.