Head bishops backed change in legislation

 By MALUM NALU

THE head bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG and Gutnius Lutheran Church were behind a change in legislation to set up a Lutheran university in Lae, it has been revealed.

Lutheran University of PNG Establishment Committee chairman Rimbink Pato was commenting yesterday on a report in The National about the repealing of the LUPNG Act 2012 by Parliament in November 2014.

The two head bishops were Giegere Wenge of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, who was voted out at last month’s church synod in Finschhafen, and David Piso of the Gutnius Lutheran Church.

“The change in the 2012 Act was at the expressed and repeated requests of the two head bishops,” Pato said. 

“The Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG – University Act of 2012 was passed in mid-stream of the establishment and a building project of the Lutheran University.  

“This unexpected act was exclusive in nature and did not take into account the Government’s role, or the Morobe provincial government as a major stakeholder, and the GLC as a stakeholder also. 

“While it is true there are some internal issues within the two churches, the head bishops have always been unequivocally supportive and continuously remained united regarding the Lutheran university project.”