Papua New Guinea is located in Oceania, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia.
The first Lutheran missionaries came to the island of New Guinea in 1886 and were sent by German mission societies. There were major disruptions in the German work during both World War I and World War II. In 1967 the church became fully autonomous and its name was changed to its current name, Evangelical Lutheran Church-Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG). Papua New Guinea secured their independence in 1975. In 1921, the former Iowa Synod responded to a call for American missionaries in Papua New Guinea and, since that time, hundreds of Americans have worked alongside Australian and German missionaries as well as Papua New Guinean companions. Support missionaries in Papua New Guinea.
In September 2009, former Bishop Schleicher and President Setu of the ELC-PNG signed a Companionship Covenant to have churches in our synods become partners in ministry. This includes sharing one another’s visions, life and mission, maintaining monthly communication between our churches, and keeping one another in prayer.
Delegations from our synod have traveled to meet our companions (Central States, North Carolina, and the Virginia Synods) in Papua New Guinea in 2016, 2019, and 2024. We hosted the Presiding Bishop Rev. Dr. Jack Urame in our synod in 2017.
Learn more about the church in Papua New Guinea:
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea – Website
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea – Facebook
- The ELCPNG Papua District
- Papua District Youth
For more information on our work in Papua New Guinea, contact Pastor David Hueter.