Lutheran church resubmits proposal to merge institutions

THE Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea has resubmitted its proposal to the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology for the proposed Lutheran Institute of Higher Learning.
Head Bishop Dr Jack Urame told The National that the earlier application two years ago was revised with the final proposal submitted this month.
“Once the registration is granted, the institute will start from the current Lutheran School of Nursing. Later the Martin Luther Seminary and Balob Teachers’ College will merge,” he said.
“Currently, each body has their own constitution, but when they become one institution, the three different bodies will be governed under one constitution.”
Urame said the merger should take place in three to five years as the current administrative and governing council structures had to be dissolved to allow for one umbrella organisation.
The merged school would have three faculties: faculty of nursing and applied health sciences, education and lifelong learning and theology and society studies.
The Lutheran School of Nursing is located in Madang while Balob Teachers’ College and Martin Luther Seminary were in Lae, Morobe.
Urame said the higher learning institute was established to train young men and women as part of the church’s contribution to human resource capacity building in the country.