Tackling cults, polygamy

Faith

LUTHERAN church pastors and evangelists serving in an area of Morobe are working hard to deal with cult activities and problems arising from polygamy.
There are 130 evangelists and 18 pastors serving in the Ukata district which includes Ulap, Kabwum and Tapen.
They themselves who are serving in the remote parts of Ukata are also struggling financially to send their children to school and provide food for their families.
Ukata has 10 circuits: Nankina, Teptep, Tapen, Ulap, Sio, Wewebo, Kabwum, Komba, Timbe and Yalumet, with 56 parishes and 316 church congregations.
Ukata district president Reverend Bayuso Basingnuc said the district needed the support of social service agencies and non-government organisations to design intervention programmes to free the people from “mental bondages”.
He said cult activities were weakening the faith and belief of Christian families.
Cult activities are associated with sorcery practices and killings which leave families living in fear.
Some men marry more than one woman causing family instability.
“Polygamy incites family violence and leads to violence between wives, leading her results in law and order issue.
“When fathers and mothers are arrested, children have to fend for themselves.”
He said most of these communities are inaccessible by road and have no health, education and communication services.
“Despite our lack of finance to meet the needs of our families, we (pastors and evangelists) have promised to serve God and are focused to serve the people first,” Basingnuc said.