Pastor retires after serving for 60 years

Faith

One of the four pioneer pastors and mentor of the Apostolic Church of PNG will retire next year after 60 years of service.
He is Rev Thomas Torp Marle, 87, from Laiagm in Enga, who is the church’s the 2nd national president.
A thanksgiving and cake-cutting service would be held on Saturday at the church’s headquarter in Hagen.
Ps Marle extends his welcome to friends and church members to come along and celebrate with him.
“We want to thank the good Lord for his blessings all these years,” he said.’
He is married and has 11 children, 13 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.
He said he started his Christian life on May 15, 1954, as a translator with pioneer missionaries Rev Harry Rea, from Australia Apostolic Church, and Pastor Gilbert White, from New Zealand Apostolic Church, who arrived in Enga from Wewak.
He worked with them as a translator for two and half years before leaving to train to become an aid post orderly in 1956 in Mt Hagen.
Marle said after the training, he went back to Laiagam and worked as an aid post orderly in 1957 and got married in 1959.
He said in 1961, he gave himself to the Lord and was baptised.
He said while working as an aid post orderly, he was ordained as a layman pastor on April 12, 1965, and continued to serve at Murip, in Kandep district, until 1971 while still working as an aid post orderly at Yapum village.
On Sep 25, 1975, he was among the four first pastors to be ordained.
On Oct 25, 1981, he was appointed 2nd national president of the Apostolic Church of PNG.
He lived with his family in Hagen and served the church for 35 years.
Pastor Jack Lome is the national president .