Synod opens with message of faith, hope, love

HAVING faith and hope and above all, love, was the message for the official opening of the 27th Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran church of PNG (ELCPNG).
The celebrant was Rev Traugott Farnbacher, who flew in from Germany on Saturday evening.
He is the general-secretary for Asia and Pacific in ELC Bavaria in Germany, and was a former lecturer at the Senior Flierl Seminary at Logaweng, Finschhafen, Morobe province.
During the liturgy mass for the opening, Dr Farnbacher stressed the importance of love and how it could have an impact on the church.
His sharing was based on the Book of Ephesians 5:1-2, which is also the theme for this synod.
“What we, the church of God, really need is love, yes, we must have hope and faith but above all love to help us overcome temptations and to effectively do God’s work,” he said in Tok Pisin.
“The fullness of God is love and God’s love is already in us as Christians.”
Dr Farnbacher encouraged the Lutherans “to show this Christ-like love to one and other and this can be fruitful in the work of God in the church”.
“Because of God’s love, he has brought us together united,” he said.
He also made reference to late Wesley Kigasung’s hope for the church.