THE Australian High Commission has hosted the launch of the next phase of the Church Partnership Program, reaffirming the enduring partnership between Australia and Papua New Guinea’s churches and their shared commitment to building a peaceful, stable and prosperous Papua New Guinea.
The event brought together senior Church leaders, PNG Government representatives, community representatives, Australian non‑governmental organisation (NGO) partners, and civil society leaders to mark the renewal of a partnership that has supported communities across Papua New Guinea for more than two decades.
The new partnership agreement was formally signed by leaders of Papua New Guinea’s seven mainline churches, the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, the Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea, The Salvation Army, the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the United Church in Papua New Guinea, alongside the Australian High Commissioner.
The signing was witnessed by Minister for Community Development, Religion and Youth, Hon. Jason Peter. Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Mr Ewen McDonald, said the partnership reflects the deep ties and shared values that continue to bind Australia and Papua New Guinea.
“Australia and Papua New Guinea’s churches have worked side by side for many years to support communities, reach the most vulnerable and strengthen social cohesion,” said the High Commissioner.
“This extension signals that we remain just as committed as ever to working together, guided by shared values of service, compassion and stewardship.”
Chair of the PNG Council of Churches, Cardinal Sir John Ribat, said the partnership is an expression of faith in action.
“This partnership allows our churches to better serve and care for the people of PNG,” Cardinal Ribat said.
“It reflects the values that unite our communities and our nations, and our shared hope for a brighter future for Papua New Guinea.”
Community representatives also shared tok stori about the real‑world impact of church‑led projects supported through the program. Among them was Nickson Oseu from Katima in Oro Province, who delivered the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea’s community resilience program.
“Before our program, the community was losing food crops every year to flooding and they lacked the literacy skills to understand standard resilience training packages,” said Mr. Oseu. “We first taught them to read and write and then helped them learn new farming techniques so they could save their harvests.”
The Church Partnership Program supports Papua New Guinea’s churches to deliver essential services in areas such as education, health, peacebuilding and social inclusion, recognising the central role churches play in communities across the country.
Australian non‑government organisations work alongside church partners to provide technical expertise and strengthen delivery, helping ensure programs are effective, accountable and sustainable.