COVER STORY
Lutherans preparing to bid farewell to a historic place of worship after 52 years
PORT MORESBY, 3 June 2026 — Tears, memories, thanksgiving and anticipation filled the air at Marimari Lutheran Church on Sunday as worshippers gathered for their final regular service inside one of Port Moresby’s most historic Lutheran churches.
The church, established in 1974 and serving generations of Papua New Guineans for more than half a century, held its final regular service on May 31, 2026, ahead of its official deconsecration on Sunday, June 7, 2026, to make way for a new church building.
For many worshippers, the moment marked the end of an era.
The old church building has witnessed baptisms, weddings, funerals, confirmations, youth fellowships and countless Sunday services since Papua New Guinea approached independence.
Congregation Chairman Bamake Rumbam said the journey towards constructing a new church had taken almost two decades of planning, fundraising and faith.
“It has taken us almost two decades,” Rumbam told the congregation.
“When we first started and gave estimates of over K3 million, some of us wondered how we were going to achieve this. But this is God’s business. All we have to do is start. You start and God finishes.”
Rumbam described the project as proof that determination, faith and collective effort could achieve what once seemed impossible.
“We have been blessed,” he said.
“Some people who started this journey with us 20 years ago are no longer with us today. Others joined later. Together, we have come this far.”
The congregation plans a full day of activities during next Sunday’s deconsecration ceremony, beginning with worship service at 8.30am, followed by tributes, thanksgiving messages and community celebrations.
Senior Congregation Council Member and Chairman of the Decommissioning and Demolition Committee, Robert Yass, outlined plans for the historic day.
“This will be a one-day programme,” Yass said.
“We will allow tributes to be made because this church means so much to so many people.”
Following the service, worshippers will move outside to temporary worship facilities as preparations begin for demolition works and construction activities.
The contract for construction has already been awarded to Wel Builders at a cost of K3.65 million, with construction expected to commence on June 15, 2026, and take approximately 15 months to complete.
During construction, worshippers will use temporary facilities while access arrangements, security and parking are reorganised.
Yass acknowledged the many people who had supported the project over the years.
“There are people who helped us who are not Lutherans,” he said.
“But they are God’s people and God’s servants. They helped us, and we want to recognise them.”
The fundraising effort behind the new church itself tells a remarkable story.
Congregation Secretary Eileen Lloyd reflected on years of sacrifice, fundraising dinners and community support that eventually transformed an ambitious dream into reality.
Fundraising began in 2007 and continued almost every year, with only a handful of years missed.
“We started fundraising in 2007,” Ms Lloyd recalled.
“Every year we hosted corporate dinners. We started at Grand Palace, then moved to Dynasty, and later to Apec Haus.”
She said support came from across Papua New Guinea — from congregations, businesses, government departments and ordinary church members.
Among major supporters were government departments, organisations, businesses and ordinary church members whose contributions helped sustain the vision over many years. Their contributions will be acknowledged next Sunday.
Lloyd said one of the lesser-known stories behind the project was the role women played in sustaining the fundraising effort over two decades.
“A very important fact is that late Pastor Gundu Guenu selected 15 women to start this New Church Building Fundraising Committee,” Lloyd said.
“Along the 20-year period, four members died, including our first chairperson, Lady Amet.
“Others got transferred out of Port Moresby and others left for personal reasons.
“We were left with six members who carried on until three new members came on board.
“In the last two years, other professional members came on board to assist the committee and this is where we are now.
“Late Pastor Gundu had trust in women to lead this big project.”
Rumbam said the church project demonstrated how God often works through people unexpectedly.
“When I saw we needed millions of kina, I thought maybe we would have to wait for politicians or someone important to come and help us,” he said.
“But God brought people to us. God has His own way.”
The new church will significantly expand Marimari’s capacity, increasing seating capacity to approximately 1,000 worshippers while allowing room for future expansion.
Plans extend beyond simply constructing a larger building.
Rumbam said church leaders envisioned landscaped gardens, improved facilities, water systems powered by solar energy, accommodation for additional clergy, youth facilities and expanded evangelism programmes.
He said the dream was to create not simply a church building, but a place of peace.
“We want this place to become somewhere people can come when they have problems,” he said.
“You can come here, sit under shade, feel the breeze, see flowers and simply have peace.”
Perhaps most significantly, Mr Rumbam said the new Marimari Lutheran Church represented something larger for Papua New Guinea itself.
“This may become one of the first major Lutheran church buildings in Papua New Guinea built entirely by Papua New Guineans,” he said.
“All these churches we worship in today were built by missionaries and expatriates. This one is ours.”
As worshippers slowly left after Sunday’s final service, many lingered longer than usual.
Some took photographs. Others quietly sat inside the building. Children ran around, unaware of the historic significance surrounding them.
Next Sunday’s deconsecration will formally close one chapter. But for Marimari Lutheran Church, leaders say, another chapter is only just beginning.
