Men’s fellowship celebrated

 By LARRY ANDREW

THE Lae United Church, on Malaita Street, in Lae, Morobe, was filled with singing and dancing last Sunday as the Morobe circuit hosted the opening of the first men’s fellowship convention.

The convention started on Monday at the Cassorwary Road United Church and will end tomorrow.  

The convention was opened by church assembly mission secretary Reverend Oika Gabutu, a former minister of the congregation.

Gabutu said Lae United Church had a humble beginning in setting the platform for the women’s fellowship.

“Thirty years down the line you will tell your grandchild that you were one of the leaders at Malaita when the first men’s convention was declared,” he said.

Gabutu said women and youths had set the platform and made their mark in the church but the men, who seemed to be dominating all leadership levels in the church, had yet to establish themselves.

“In every decision-making body in the church you go to, men dominate but when we come to organise ourselves for fellowship, the women and youth are above us,” he said.

He said men must have a fellowship. 

Before declaring the convention open, he challenged the men to be agents of change in advocating about violence against women.

Hundreds of visitors turned up to witness the colourful opening ceremony staged by church ministries within the host province.