Stamps capture church’s indigenous features

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Post PNG has recognised the 50th anniversary of the United Church in Papua New Guinea by capturing indigenous features of the church in postage stamps.
Post PNG operations manager Ben Davis and United Church’s Rev Bernard Siai launched the new stamps in Port Moresby yesterday.
Post Philatelic manager Banian Masiboda said the company wanted to recognise the work of the church in the provision of spiritual guidance and development in health and educational services since 1968.
He said liberty was given to the church to decide on the feature and it picked pioneer missionaries.
The London Missionary Society began its work in PNG in 1871.
Several groups of Christians from the Pacific Islands came to work with the missionaries which expanded through the Papuan mainland.
The Australian Methodist Church, now the United Church in Australia, responded to the request to join the pioneering work. The Methodist Mission covered many areas in PNG.
Union of Papua Methodists and the United Church of Port Moresby established the United Church of PNG in 1968.
Masiboda said that online stamp collectors in 100 countries and eight agencies in Australia, Northern Europe, England, South Africa and Latin America would recall the work of the church.
Rev Bernard Siai said that it was an initiative of Post PNG to show that their 50th anniversary was a spiritual and development partnership.
United Church general secretary Wesi Poro said the church had more than 800,000 members in PNG.