Wesleyan college pray for funding to launch diploma courses

THE Wesleyan Bible College of PNG based in Avi, Jiwaka, will be offering diploma programmes starting next year.
Principal Andy Kela and deputy Pastor Ninde Ole told The National at the college on Tuesday that they were planning to include additional courses like light motor vehicle mechanics and agriculture.
They said that this would depend on funding for the new courses.
Kela said that the college was established by the Wesleyan Church at Avi in the South Waghi district of Jiwaka in 1996 to help train pastors in a three-year programme.
He said that apart from the theological courses, the college also offered carpentry, computing, and sewing for women.
He said that initially, the church wanted to train selected members of the church from remote parts of the country as pastors and send them back to their communities to serve there.
Kela said that to help pastors sustain their living back in their communities, the college offered additional courses.
He said that students were from Northern, Central, Morobe, Southern Highlands, Hela, and Jiwaka.
Kela said that so far 60 students have graduated since 1999 when they had the first graduation.
“Every year we graduate fewer  than 10 students; this year we will have four students graduate on Dec 1,” he said.
Pastor Ole said that the college was open to members of other evangelical churches.
“The college is operated on the schools fees paid by the students, contributions from church members in the districts that they represent and also from individual donations.”
He said that they needed assistance from the provincial government and local MPs to expand and train more people.