East Sepik district set to host religious convention

 CHURCH leaders and the people of Yangoru-Saussia district, in East Sepik, are currently preparing to host a week-long religious convention that will coincide with the National Prayer and Repentance Day.

While PNG commemorates the day, which falls on Aug 26, the district will be dedicated and a covenant will be signed between the Yangoru-Saussia people and God.

The district’s joint planning and budget priorities committee  agreed to dedicate the district, its people and leaders to God and allocated money to fund the convention.

Local MP Richard Maru said the convention will compliment changes and developments happening in the district. 

“It is timely that we dedicate the district to God, because prosperity will prevail only through God,” he said.

“The people must be freed from so much evil and curses that exist in the district causing stagnancy in the growth and development.”

Early this week, Maru met with church elders, pastors and  representatives churches in the district as well as those from the  education sector and youth to discuss a way forward in ensuring that preparations must start in a lead up to the hosting of the convention.

Prominent clergy members, Ps Joseph Walter and Ruben Akia have been invited to be the main speakers during the on-week convention. 

A committee will soon be set up to coordinate preparation for the convention which will kick off one 

week earlier with prayer and 

fasting before Aug 26. Our district will only receive blessings if we commit it to God. We must balance both physical and spiritual side of things,” Maru said.

He said the district may experience some physical changes in terms of development but if the spiritual battle is not won, all these changes will become nothing.

“My view is that, the political leader and the churches must rise up and say, enough is enough and that it is time to repent and ask God to take control of the district’s affairs,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the pastors and elders of the churches who met with Maru have now been urged to mobilise churches from other denominations to unite and organise the staging of this important event.

“PNG is blessed with so many natural resources like gold, oil and gas amongst others but yet we are so poor. This is because we have left the nation to the hands of dark forces to take control of our affairs,” Maru said.