2010 Partners Magazine Spring Edition

Celebrating Missionaries

I would like to thank the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) for the privilege given to me to contribute to this volume of the Partners magazine.

My travel to Australia has happened to be straight after the House of Bishops meeting, the Newton Theological College Council meeting and the Provincial Finance Committee meeting. As usual one of the main agenda items of these meetings was the financial support by our Church Partners, which includes ABM.

My visit to Australia has been primarily to celebrate Papua New Guinea Martyrs Day in churches around Australia – thanking the Australian Anglican Church for its contribution through the Martyrs of Papua New Guinea in laying the foundations of the Anglican Church in PNG. During my visit, I have met a number of different groups, schools and parishes, who support us through ABM. There are others who give themselves, their time and resources to raise funds to projects such as clergy school fees and theological education.

ABM supports Partner churches around the world. The task is enormous in a world that is changing and in situations that are becoming more and more difficult. ABM’s Partners are being asked to satisfy more and more financial and material needs.

One day, the type of support that ABM gives may well come to an end and the churches who are dependant on partners such as ABM will have serious problems. As partners in God’s Church – we will need to come together, with Christ leading and influencing us, to look for ways and means to address the situations and circumstances permanently.

Perhaps the greatest legacy that the Martyrs can leave is an independent and thriving Church – one that lives on independently of those who planted the seed so many years ago. The story of the Martyrs is known throughout the Church in Papua New Guinea and everyone I know is humbled by the sacrifice that they made. I believe that the best way we can honour this sacrifice is to strive for an independent church.

The Right Revd Clyde Igara
Bishop of the Diocese of Dogura

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