Lutheran church told to hold MPs for wrongs

Lae News, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday, May 3, 2011

BULOLO MP Sam Basil has called on the Evangelical Lutheran church of PNG to step up without fear or favour and hold MPs accountable for their bad deeds, which involved using the church for their gain.
Basil also lamented the welfare of the pastors, who he said were not being treated according to their stature, especially with many of them performing their duties without being accorded allowances.
Basil made this bold call at the Kisim Bek parish on Sunday, when taking part at Thanksgiving Day event which was also attended by the church’s assistance bishop Zao Rapa and finance secretary James Pena.
“We have 30 Lutheran MPs which is almost 25% of all the parliamentarians, and some are them are using the church to open doors and gain personally,” Basil said, who also spoke against MPs using the title of church elders, using the pulpit and having more than one partner.
If things go like this, the politicians will pull down the church through corruption while the followers will regress spiritually.
“The church should question its leaders, investigate, ex-communicate and counsel them from time to time,” Basil said.
Assistant bishop Rev Zao Rapa, who spoke after Basil, agreed to his counsel and blamed the church hierarchy.
“The church is alright, but the reason for the failure is with its leadership and management and not with the believers.
“If only we have the right people in the right positions,” he said.
Rapa, however, urged the church members to stand firm in the Christian faith despite the situation.