In 2016 Pastor Greg Schiller returned to Australia after more than a 30-year partnership in the gospel with our partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG). Greg began his ministry in PNG in 1984 as a vicar on Siassi Island. Leaving was immensely hard, but he also felt the call to […]

In 2016 Pastor Greg Schiller returned to Australia after more than a 30-year partnership in the gospel with our partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG). Greg began his ministry in PNG in 1984 as a vicar on Siassi Island. Leaving was immensely hard, but he also felt the call to come home to Australia.

At the start of 2017 Greg took the call to Cairns Lutheran Parish. As like most of us, we never quite know what God’s plan entails, but for Greg, it has been a reconnection to and continuation of ministry to PNG people. There is a significant number of people from PNG living in Cairns and Greg and the church community are finding more and more ways to engage and connect with them.

More and more Papua New Guineans are getting involved with and help in leading services and other church events. Every service has the blessing in Tok Pisin as well as in English and some parts of the sermon can go to Tok Pisin if extra explanation is needed. The congregation regularly sing Tok Pisin songs in worship. Pastor Greg has translated some of the PNG songs (written by PNG’s and with local tunes) to English so that they can be taught to the English speakers. There are PNG themed worship services throughout the year. The confirmation class is almost entirely PNG young people.

However, Greg believes that more still needs to be done. There are still possibly thousands of PNGs of Lutheran background in the Cairns region who they don’t see or haven’t made contact with, and Greg and the PNG Lutheran worshipping community want to reach out to them.

Greg’s heart is for all people to be fully participating members of the congregation, not just spectators in the congregation. For Greg though he said, ‘I love the PNG community here and feel at home with them.’

Many of our partner churches are working in new territory for the kingdom of God; therefore, spiritual attack is their everyday reality. As a member of a congregation, school, or family, or a couple or individual, you are invited to commit to praying for our partners in mission. For regular prayer point updates, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/act-now/pray

Read more stories about our partner church in Papua New Guinea at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/international-partners/papua-new-guinea/