United Church has new moderator

One Sunday morning, Seluaia was alone with her baby in the native house. Her husband had gone to conduct a church service. The woman was, in the ordinary way, perfectly safe.
Suddenly an angry man rushed in to the house and struck Seluaia with a knife, severely wounding her. With a mother’s instinct, she grabbed her baby and ran from her attacker on to the open road. The man followed her and stabbed her again and again, leav¬ing her for dead.
When Josiaia reached home it was to see his wife, who had dragged herself back to the house, lying bruised and bleeding to death. She told her hus¬band: “I expected him to kill me, but I prayed that I may be able to save our baby”.
Josaia, in his grief, pleaded with her to live and stay with him, but she, feel¬ing the end was near, gave her last mes-sage for her people and the Church in Tonga, the message ending with “and tell them that my mind is at peace”
This is how narrator Haofa Sailasa introduced Reverend Bernard Siai and his wife Wendy as they entered the Alotau United Church on Sunday, Oc¬tober 7, where Rev Siai was inducted as the new Moderator of the United Church of PNG.
The story is in fact the writing of the first Methodist missionary to come to Milne Bay, Dr Bromilow, in 1891.
Bromilow had related the incident when, two months after landing on Dobu Island, he and other pioneer mis-sionaries and teachers from Australia and South Sea Islands (Fiji, Samoa and Tonga), had sailed to Panaeati Island to begin the mission work.
He wrote that, “The only one of our mission party to die from violence was perhaps the gentlest soul of all; was murdered on Panaeati Island. Seluaia was the wife of Josaia, a Tongan teach¬er, who was based on Panaeati.
Bromilow further related that the murderer was tried before a district magistrate and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, but after five years, he was liberated. Soon after the man returned to the Island, he received a message from Josaia that Seluaia had forgiven him before she died, and that he too, has also forgiven him.
Holding back his emotions last Sun¬day, Sailasa, who had led the Panaeati and Misima circuit group to take Rev-erend Siai and Marama Wendy to the stage, said that the blood that was spilt some 120 years ago, had planted the seed from which a fruit had come up.
“Truly, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”
That fruit was Reverend Bernard Siai, who as told to a hushed congre¬gation, was from the same clan as the man that had killed Seluaia, the wife of Tongan teacher Josaia.
“Today we all witness the fruit of the seed planted some 120 years ago. We bring Bernard and Wendy Siai to present them as living sacrifice to the church, not as rulers but servants.
“We humbly request the Assem¬bly (United Church 23rd Assembly) to convey to the church, especially in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, who were part of the pioneer mission, that we are truly saddened and sorry for what had happened in the past.
“Today, however, we too can claim redemption through the most precious blood of the Lamb of God.
“Like Seluaia, our hearts and minds are at peace as we all join together to witness God’s great plan fulfilled through the new Moderator,” said Sail¬asa, before giving the couple to out-going Moderator Reverend Sir Samson Lowa to undertake the rites of induc¬tion.
Rev Siai is the sixth moderator of the United Church of PNG but is the first from Milne Bay. He takes over from longest-serving moderator, Rev Sir Samson Lowa, who was accompanied to the history-making induction in Alo-tau, by his wife Marama Jessie Lowa.
Preaching his maiden sermon, Rev Siai vowed to pursue the theme “Fear God and Serve Him” in his term as moderator.
He said there is a need for all United Church members in PNG and else¬where to renew their covenants with God.
“When we fear God, it makes us to serve him faithfully. The way to be¬come wise is when we fear God. The fear of God is the beginning of knowl¬edge,” Rev Siai said.
He also called on all leaders of the church to stop fighting for positions, but to work together to serve God and the people.
He thanked Rev Sir Samson for leading the church in the past 14 years during which prosperity had begun to be achieved. He assured he would take on from where Rev Sir Samson left off, especially with the major programmes including setting up a university for the United Church and the reconcilia¬tion and further evangelisation.
And as humbly as he took oath 14 years ago, Rev Sir Samson placed the moderator’s red stole on Rev Siai and in humility, took on the yellow stole, in his return to being a bishop.
There was feasting and celebrations on Saturday and Sunday as United Church members from all over Milne Bay Province, as well as visiting con¬gregations from West New Britain, the church’s partner churches from Austra¬lia, New Zealand and the United King¬dom turned up to witness the induction ceremony and the conclusion of the 23rd General Assembly.
Bishops of the 11 regions and the Solomon Islands also witnessed the ceremony.
Milne Bay Governor Titus Philemon was among the many leaders who con¬gratulated the new moderator and bid farewell to the out-going one.
Philemon presented a Trobriand-carved ebony walking-stick as a fare¬well and thank you gift to Rev Sir Samson and a highly-valued bagi necklace to Rev Siai.