Former Kikori Mission office until 2018. Photo courtesy of Calvin Sio.

South West Papua Mission, South Pacific Division

BARRY OLIVER

Barry Oliver, Ph.D., retired in 2015 as president of the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists, Sydney, Australia. An Australian by birth Oliver has served the Church as a pastor, evangelist, college teacher, and administrator. In retirement, he is a conjoint associate professor at Avondale College of Higher Education. He has authored over 106 significant publications and 192 magazine articles. He is married to Julie with three adult sons and three grandchildren.

The South West Papua Mission (SWPM) is the Seventh-day Adventist Church administrative entity for the southwestern area of Papua New Guinea.1 The territory of SWPM is “Gulf Province (excluding Kaintiba Sub-District), and Fly River Province (excluding Kiunga District) of Papua New Guinea.”2 It is a part of and responsible to the Papua New Guinea Union Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The Papua New Guinea Union Mission comprises the Seventh-day Adventist Church entities in the country of Papua New Guinea. There are nine local missions and one local conference in the union. They are the Central Papuan Conference, the Bougainville Mission, the New Britain New Ireland Mission, the Northern and Milne Bay Mission, Morobe Mission, Madang Manus Mission, Sepik Mission, Eastern Highlands Simbu Mission, Western Highlands Mission, and South West Papuan Mission. The administrative office of SWPM is located at Epo, Kerema, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. The mission operates under General Conference and South Pacific Division (SPD) operating policies. Those policies state that the officers of SWPM are elected by the Papua New Guinea Union Mission.3 “The mission president elected by the union is a member of the union committee and is the union representative in the conduct of the work in the mission. The president shall, with the local mission committee, supervise and carry forward the work in the local mission.”4 Mission associate officers and departmental personnel are elected at a duly called session of the mission where representatives from all churches in the mission are present.5 In 2018, SWPM had twenty-five organized churches and ninety-two companies. Church membership at the end of 2018 was 11,389. The mission had forty-three active employees. Its tithe receipts for 2017 totaled US$104,695. Its tithe and offerings per capita were US$13.76.6 The Institutions of the South West Papua Mission As of 2018, the South West Papua Mission operated six schools. Aivau Seventh-day Adventist Primary School, located in the Kerema district, had an enrollment of 191 students and a teaching staff of four. Kitomave Seventh-day Adventist Primary School, located in the Kikori district, had an enrollment of 155 students and a teaching staff of four. Kukkia Seventh-day Adventist Primary School, located in the Kerema district, had an enrollment of 198 students and a teaching staff of five. Kumaiyo Seventh-day Adventist Primary, located in the Turama district, had enrollment of ninety-one students and a teaching staff of one. Kuri Seventh-day Adventist Primary School, located in the Turama district, had an enrollment of 129 students and a teaching staff of two. Woigi Primary School, located in the Daru district, had enrollment of 140 students and a teaching staff of two. The Arrival and Early History Adventists in the Territory of the Mission Septimus and Edith Carr, expatriate teachers at the Buresala Training School in Fiji, were nominated in 1907 to lead in the establishment of an Adventist mission in Papua.7 They chose one of their students, Benisimani (known asBennie or Benny) Tavodi, to assist them. They arrived in Port Moresby in June 1908 and found temporary accommodation there.8 Carr travelled to the Sogeri Plateau northeast of Port Moresby where he found a tract of land at Bisiatabu.9 He applied to the government requesting permission to purchase 150 acres from the Koiari people so that he could lease it long term.10 Late in 1909 ,these arrangements were completed. At the same time, help arrived in the persons of nursing graduates Gordon and Maud Smith along with Tuaine Solomona from the Cook Islands.11 Tavodi and Solomona did much of the hard labor, clearing and preparing the ground and planting taro, bananas, citrus, and rubber trees.12 A mission home of local materials was erected which, together with the land, was dedicated on February 28, 1910.13 Among the young men who came to Bisiatabu were several young men from Gulf Province. One of them was Koivi Muku who, after graduating from Bisiatabu, returned to his people in the Vailala area and started sharing what he had learned. He was the first known local Advenitst who initiated an interest in the Church in the Gulf Province.14 Early in 1927, William Lock and Gerald Peacock travelled to the gulf and inspected land at Belepa on the Vailala River. They were “favourably impressed.”15 The plan was for the Peacocks to take up residence on the Vailala River and commence work. However, before any action was taken, they were called to the Solomon Islands where Gerald Peacock became superintendent.16 By May 1927, George and Christina Engelbrecht had arrived in Papua.17 They spent some months at Bisiatabu learning the language and preparing to commence working before moving to Vailala by the end of 1927.18 A Fijian by the name of Tereti Niqara and his wife, Kelera (or Clara), arrived in Bisiatabu and then moved to Vailala in 1930.19 They stayed a short time at the mission station and before moving further along the coast to commence work at Kailahu.20 At the end of 1930, the Engelbrechts were briefly back at Bisiatabu. Christina Engelbrecht in particular was suffering from ill health. In fact, doctors instructed that they return home to New Zealand to recuperate.21 After some eight months, their place at Vailala was taken by Cecil Howell and his wife.22 Soon thereafter they were joined by a brother, Laurence Howell, and his wife.23 On October 5, 1950 an ordination service was conducted at Belepa where the first Papuans were ordained to the ministry.”24 On April 26, 1952, Ernest Lemke arrived in Woigi Village along the Oriomo River to commence Adventist work there. Soon after, the Woigi School was established.25 It was from Woigi that work extended eastward toward the Fly River delta, westward towards Sibidiri, along the Maikusa River, and later into Kurunti along the Pahoturi River. Also, in 1952 Lemke and the union president arrived in Daru where they selected a site for a mission station.26 At the end of 1952, a tragedy occurred. Delys Lemke and two of their sons, David and Adrian, died in an accident aboard the mission vessel Lao Heni. Ernest Lemke later wrote:

I pressed the starter button, and the mission boat exploded. I dashed below, then dragged my wife and our three boys up to the rear deck. It was 5 am. They’d been sitting on their bunks. We had just finished our morning prayers and they were still in their pyjamas. Our ship, the Lao-Heni, was in flames from bow to stern. Six 44-gallon drums—our petrol reserve—exploded, spilled, and burned on the surface of the water with searing heart. Another explosion. We were thrown into the water, and I lost consciousness.27

Lemke and his remaining son, Lester, returned to Australia. However, just twenty-one months later they returned to Papua New Guinea with Lemke’s second wife, Valmae. They served together in the country for twelve years; first as president of the Sepik Mission and then as president of the Central Papua Mission.28 Diari II, a vessel of twenty-eight feet was dedicated in Brisbane on April 23, 1954, and sailed to Papua by Jack Radley.29 In 1958, two blocks of land were purchased on Daru Island for the church and the church pastor’s house, which were both built that year. The Central School at Kitomave was opened in 1969. Leon Miller was invited to be the principal and remained there in 1970 and 1971.30 From the time of its organization in 1960 to 2018, the Papuan Gulf Mission, which embraced all the territory of the present South West Papua Mission, grew from twelve churches with 1,253 members to twenty-five churches and eighty-two companies with 11,389 members.

1960 12 Churches 1253 members31

1970 15 Churches 2134 members32

1980 18 Churches 3316 m embers33

1990 22 Churches 5876 members34

2000 26 Churches 72 Companies 10290 members35

2010 26 Churches 72 Companies 11461 members36

2108 25 Churches 82 Companies 11389 members37

The History of the Development of the South West Papua Mission: Structure Adventism was established in Papua with the arrival of S. W. Carr and Peni Tavodi in 1908.38 In 1928, the Papua Mission was organized with headquarters at Bisiatabu. W. N. Lock was the first superintendent.39 The address of the Papua Mission changed to Bootless Bay, Port Moresby, Papua, in 1932,40 and changed again to Mirigeda, Port Moresby, Papua, in 1935.41 In 1945, thePapua-New Guinea Mission was formed. It included all the territory of the former Papua Mission and the former Territory of New Guinea Mission.42 It was located in Port Moresby. The superintendent was R. A. R. Thrift.43 The name of the Papua-New Guinea Mission was changed to Papua North East New Guinea Mission in 1946.44 The Coral Sea Union Mission was organized with four local missions in 1949.45 The Bismarck Archipelago Mission (formerly included in the Papua-New Guinea Mission, but organized as a separate mission in 1947) covering the territory of New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, Buka, Saint Matthias Group, the Admiralty Group, and adjacent islands. The other four local mission were the Northeast New Guinea Mission, the Papuan Mission, and the Solomon Islands Mission. With the formation of the Bismark Solomons Union Mission in 1953, the following PNG Missions were formed: the Bougainville Mission, organized in 1953 with headquarters in Inus and Cyril Pascoe, president; the Manus Mission, organized in 1953 headquarters in Manus and Karese Manovaki, president; the New Britain Mission, organized in 1953 with headquarters in Rabaul and Eric A. Boehm, president; and the New Ireland Mission, organized in 1953 with headquarters in Kavieng and John Rongapitu, president.46 The reorganized Coral Sea Union Mission was comprised of eight local missions. The Central Papuan Mission, located in Ela Beach, Port Moresby, was reorganized in 1949 and renamed in 1954 with Laurence I. Howell, president. The Eastern Highlands Mission, located in Goroka, was organized in 1953 with A. J. Campbell, president. The Eastern Papua Mission, located in Tufi, was organized in 1953 with Ngava, president. The Madang Mission, located in Madang, was organized in 1949 and reorganized in 1953 with T. F. Judd, president. The Morobe Mission, located in Wau, was organized in 1953 with John H. Newman, president. Sepik Mission, located in Wewak, was organized in 1953 with S. H. Gander, president. The Western Highlands Mission, located in ount Hagen, was organized 1953 with F. J. Maberly, president. The Western Papua Mission, located in Port Romilly, was organized 1953 with H. Martin Pascoe, president.47 In 1954, the Western Papuan Mission was divided into two missions. The Western Papuan Mission was reorganized with headquadrters in Daru. Kila Galama was president. The Papuan Gulf Mission was organized with headqsuarters in Kerema. H. Martin Pascoe was president.48 In 1960, the two mission were combined under the name Papuan Gulf Mission with headquarters in Ihu. E. L. Martin was the president.49 On September 8, 1964, a new Papuan Gulf Mission headquarters were opened at Kikori while John Richardson was the president.”50 The Papua New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM) was organized in 1972 with ten local missions:51 the Bougainville Mission, organized 1953; Central Papuan Mission, organized 1908; the Eastern Highlands Mission, organized 1953; the Madang Manus Mission, organized 1949 and reorganized 1953, 1972; the Morobe Mission, organized 1953; the New Britain New Ireland Mission, organized 1953 and reorganized 1961, 1972; the North East Papuan Mission, organized 1953 and reorganized 1972; the Papuan Gulf Mission, organized 1954 and reorganized 1960; the Sepik Mission, organized 1953; and the Western Highlands Mission, organized 1953.52 After the formation of the PNGUM and the reorganization of missions, the Madang Mission, Manus Mission, New Ireland Mission, East New Britain Mission, West New Britain Mission, Milne Bay Mission, and North Papuan Mission ceased to exist. In 1976, the name of the Papuan Gulf Mission was changed to the South West Papuan Mission.53 Between 2010 and 2015, the SWPM was administered by the PNGUM.54 On September 14, 2017, the SWPM executive committee voted to transfer the administrative off if the mission from Kikori back to Kerema.55 The administrative headquarters of the South West Papua Mission were re-established at Kerema in 2018.56 The History of the Development of the South West Papua Mission: Union Affiliation Affiliation with the Australasian Union Conference Until 1949, all of the local conference and mission entities throughout the territory of the Australasian Union Conference, related directly to the union with headquarters in Sydney. But at a specially called session of the Australasian Union between August 16 and 21, 1948, a major reorganization was approved. Australia and New Zealand were divided between two union conferences known as the Trans-Tasman Union Conference, and the Trans- Commonwealth Union Conference. The mission territories were also divided into two union missions known as the Coral Sea Union Mission and the Central Pacific Union Mission. The south west of Papua within the Coral Sea Union Mission In that reorganization in 1949, the Papuan Mission which included the territory of southwestern Papua became one of the local missions of the Coral Sea Union Mission. The territory of the Coral Sea Union Mission was “Papua, the Mandated Territory of New Guinea, and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.”57 Western Papua Mission as a Local Mission within the Coral Sea Union Mission In 1953, the territory of the Coral Sea Union Mission was divided into a Coral Sea Union Mission and a Bismarck- Solomons Union Mission.58 Western Papua Mission was part of the Coral Sea Union Mission.59 As name changes occurred between 1953 and 1972, the territory of southwest Papua remained in the Coral Sea Union Mission. Affiliation with the Papua New Guinea Union Mission Then In 1972, there was a major reorganization of the union missions in the Australasian Division. The Papuan Gulf Mission was one of ten local missions in a Papua New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM).60 The local missions were the Bougainville Mission, established in 1929 and reorganized in 1953; the Central Papuan Mission, established in 1908; the Eastern Highlands Mission, organized in 1953; the Madang Manus Mission, organized in 1949 and reorganized in 1953, 1972; the Morobe Mission, organized in 1953; the New Britain New Ireland Mission, organized in 1953 and reorganized in 1961, 1972; the North East Papuan Mission, organized in 1953 and reorganized in 1972; the Papuan Gulf Mission, organized in 1954 and reorganized in 1960; the Sepik Mission, organized in 1953; and the Western Highlands Mission, organized in 1953.61 The missions that had existed up until the reorganization in 1972, but which were absorbed into other missions on reorganization were Madang Mission, Manus Mission, New Ireland Mission, East New Britain Mission, West New Britain Mission, Milne Bay Mission, and North Papuan Mission.62 In 2000, another major reorganization of the unions in the South Pacific Division occurred at the South Pacific Division session.63 Five unions were reduced to four by rearranging boundaries. However, this change did not alter the territory of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission. Progress and Challenges in the Mission The mission statement of the South West Papua Mission is “to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and witness in the context of the three angels’ messages (Revelation14:6-12) through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”64 Fulfilling the Mission of the South West Papua Mission The major challenge being confronted by the South West Papua Mission is the composition of its workforce. Many of the ministers in the conference are aging and the mission is challenged with the need to engage younger people. In addition, there is the challenge of providing the churches with an appropriately educated ministerial workforce. Ninety percent of the work force in the mission has received basic ministerial training at Omaura School of Ministry. Only ten percent of the ministers have either a Sonoma Adventist College diploma or a Pacific Adventist University degree.65 The mission administration plans to be intentional in identifying future candidates for ministry and mentor and invest in them financially.66 Superintendents and Presidents of the Missions in the Territory of South West Papua Since 1929 Papua Mission (1928-1945): William. N. Lock (1928-1940); George. H. Engelbrecht (1941-1942); C. E. Mitchell (1943- 1944). Papua-New Guinea Mission (1945): Roy A. R. Thrift (1945). Papua North East New Guinea Mission (1946-1948): Robert R. Frame (1946-1948). Papuan Mission (1949-1953): C. E. Mitchell (1949-1953). Western Papuan Mission (1953-1959): H. Martin Pascoe (1953); Kila Galama (1954-1959); Elwyn L. Martin (1959). Papuan Gulf Mission (1954-1975): H. Martin Pascoe (1954-1959); Elwyn Martin (1959-1962); John R. Richardson (1963-1969); Lewis G. Parker (1969); Peter C. Cummings (1970-1972); Ritchie Way 1973-1975). South West Papua Mission (1976-): Ray Sills (1976-1978); Wilfred S. Pascoe (1979-1981); Isaac Morimai (1982- 1983); Walter Oli (1984-1987); Collin Unobo (1988-1990); Peter Oli (1991); Samsun Genun (1992-1994); Karo Roa (1995-1996); Donny Andon (1997-1998); Makoa Daroa (1999-2002); Kepsie Elodo (2003-2007); Benny Soga (2008- 2010); Administered by PNGUM (2010-2015); Nime Bane (2016-2019); Jeffrey Tangea (2019-).

SOURCES “ADM 10.05, Principles of Denominational Organization.” In South Pacific Division Working Policy. Wahroonga, New South Wales: South Pacific Division, 2018. Annual Statistical Reports. Silver Spring, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1961-2019. Accessed January 31, 2020. http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR. Australasian Inter Union Conference Executive Committee Minutes. April 20, 1953. “Brother Carr of New Guinea wrote...” Union Conference Record, December 13, 1909. Carr, E. M. “New Guinea.” Union Conference Record, August 17, 1908. Carr, E. M. and S. W. Carr. “Advancement in New Guinea.” Union Conference Record, January 17, 1910. Carr, S. W. “Annual Report of the New Guinea Mission.” Union Conference Record, September 27, 1909. Carr, S, W. and E. M. Carr. “New Guinea. Union Conference Record, January 4, 1909. Ernest Charles Lemke Service Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Lemke, Ernest Charles.” Document: “Service Record.” Howell, C. J. “A Red Letter Day for Vailala.” Australasian Record, June 1, 1931. Howell, C. J. and M. A. Howell. “Vailala Mission Papua.” Australasian Record, October 27, 1930. James, J. Ross. “Papua.” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930. Lemke, E. C. “Blazing the Trail in Western Papua.” Australasian Record, June 9, 1952. Lemke, Ernest and Cindy Hancock. “The Morning That Tore My Life Apart.” Signs– Special Edition: The Search for Security , July 1989. Lock, Lester. Locks that Opened Doors. Warburton, Victoria: Signs Publishing Company, 2000. Lock, W. N. “From New Guinea: A Bombshell.” Australasian Record, March 21, 1927. Manners, Bruce. “Session Votes for Restructure.” Record, November 25, 2000. Missionary Teaching Appointments for 1970.” Australasian Record, October 20, 1969. Olsen, O. A. “The Union Conference Council.” Union Conference Record, September 23, 1907. Omoa, Keke Koivi. “History in the Gulf Province.” Unpublished Seventh-day Adventist Church History assignment, Pacific Adventist University, 1997. Held in the Research Centre, Pacific Adventist University, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Keke Koivi Omoa is the son of pioneer missionary Koivi Muku. “On their way to Papua.” Australasian Record, June 9, 1930. “Pastor W. N. Lock...” Australasian Record, February 9, 1931. “Pastor W. N. Lock writes...” Australasian Record, May 30, 1927. “Returning for a brief period on furlough...” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930. Richardson, John R. “New Headquarters Opened.” Australasian Record, December 7, 1964. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Various years. http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks Smith, G. and M. “Arrival in New Guinea.” Union Conference Record, January 17, 1910. Smith, Gordon. “Bisiatabu, New Guinea.” Union Conference Record, August 15, 1910. “Some time ago...” Australasian Record, February 21, 1927. South West Papua Executive Committee Minutes, September 14, 2017. “SWPM Administration Relocation to Epo, Kikori.” SWPM archives, SWPM, Epo, Kerema. Stewart, A. J. “Visiting Our Mission Stations in Papua, Part 2.” Australasian Record, September 7, 1931. “Vailala Address.” Australasian Record, December 3, 1927. Zeunert, W. E. “...and Bless All Those Who Sail Them.” Australasian Record, June 7, 1954.

NOTES 1. Unless otherwise credited, the information in this article comes from the personal knowledge and experience of the author as a former general secretary of the South Pacific Division (1997-2007), and president of the South Pacific Division (2007-2015). The author acknowledges the assistance of Baia Warapa, youth and personal ministries director for the South West Papua Mission, and Pauline Yorio, administrative secretary of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, in the collection of information for this article.? 2. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “South West Papuan Mission,” Page 279, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB2018.pdf.? 3. “ADM 10.05, Principles of Denominational Organization,” in South Pacific Division Working Policy (Wahroonga, New South Wales: South Pacific Division, 2018).? 4. Ibid.? 5. Ibid.? 6. 2019 Annual Statistical Report: 155th Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for 2017 (Silver Spring, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2019), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2019.pdf.? 7. O. A. Olsen, “The Union Conference Council,” Union Conference Record, September 23, 1907, 1-2.? 8. E. M. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, August 17, 1908, 5.? 9. S. W. Carr and E. M. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, January 4, 1909, 3.? 10. S. W. Carr, “Annual Report of the New Guinea Mission,” Union Conference Record, September 27, 1909, 3.? 11. “Brother Carr of New Guinea wrote...,” Union Conference Record, December 13, 1909, 8.? 12. E. M. Carr and S. W. Carr, “Advancement in New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, January 17, 1910, 3; G. and M. Smith, “Arrival in New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, January 17, 1910, 3-4.? 13. Gordon Smith, “Bisiatabu, New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, August 15, 1910, 4-5.? 14. Keke Koivi Omoa, “History in the Gulf Province,” unpublished Seventh-day Adventist Church History assignment, Pacific Adventist University, 1997, Held in the Research Centre, Pacific Adventist University, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. 46. Keke Koivi Omoa is the son of pioneer missionary Koivi Muku.? 15. “Some time ago...,” Australasian Record, February 21, 1927, 8.? 16. W. N. Lock, “From New Guinea: A Bombshell,” Australasian Record, March 21, 1927, 8.? 17. “Pastor W. N. Lock writes...,” Australasian Record, May 30, 1927, 8.? 18. “Vailala Address,” Australasian Record, December 3, 1927, 7.? 19. “On their way to Papua,” Australasian Record, June 9, 1930, 8; “Pastor W. N. Lock...,” Australasian Record, February 9, 1931, 8.? 20. C. J. Howell, “A Red Letter Day for Vailala,” Australasian Record, June 1, 1931, 8; A. J. Stewart, “Visiting Our Mission Stations in Papua, Part 2,” Australasian Record, September 7, 1931, 3.? 21. J. Ross James, “Papua,” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930, 5; “Returning for a short period on furlough...,” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930, 8.? 22. C. J. Howell and M. A. Howell, “Vailala Mission Papua,” Australasian Record, October 27, 1930, 5.? 23. A. J. Stewart, “Visiting Our Mission Stations in Papua, Part 2,” Australasian Record, September 7, 1931, 3.? 24. Lester Lock, Locks that Opened Doors (Warburton, Victoria: Signs Publishing Company, 2000), 49.? 25. Garuda Kaison, Head Teacher of Woigi Primary School Interview with Baia Warapa, June 17, 2019.? 26. E. C. Lemke, “Blazing the Trail in Western Papua,” Australasian Record, June 9, 1952, 4.? 27. Ernest Lemke and Cindy Hancock, “The Morning That Tore My Life Apart,” Signs–Special Edition: The Search for Security, July 1989, 12.? 28. Ernest Charles Lemke Service Records, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, folder: “Lemke, Ernest Charles,” document: “Service Record.”? 29. Australasian Inter Union Conference Executive Committee Minutes, April 20, 1953, 1030; W. E Zeunert, “...and Bless All Those Who Sail Them,” Australasian Record, June 7, 1954, 5.? 30. Missionary Teaching Appointments for 1970,” Australasian Record, October 20, 1969, 16; Leon Miller, email to author, February 3, 2020.? 31. 99th Annual Statistical Report, 1961” (Washington, DC: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1961), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR1961.pdf.? 32. 108th Annual Statistical Report, 1970” (Washington, DC: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1970), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR1970.pdf.? 33. 118th Annual Statistical Report, 1980” (Washington, DC: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1980), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR1980.pdf.? 34. 128th Annual Statistical Report, 1990” (Silver Springs, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1990), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR1990.pdf.? 35. 138th Annual Statistical Report, 2000” (Silver Springs, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2000), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2000.pdf.? 36. 148th Annual Statistical Report, 2010” (Silver Springs, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2010), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2010.pdf.? 37. 2019 Annual Statistical Report: 155th Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for 2018 (Silver Spring, MD: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2019), accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2019.pdf.? 38. E. M. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, August 17, 1908, 5; S. W. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, October 26, 1908, 2-3.? 39. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 130, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1930.pdf.? 40. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 73, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1933.pdf.? 41. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 76, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1936.pdf.? 42. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” page 77, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1946.pdf.? 43. Ibid.? 44. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” page 75, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1948.pdf.? 45. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 78, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1950.pdf.? 46. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Bismarck Solomons Union Mission,” page 83, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf.? 47. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral sea Union Mission,” page 89, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf.? 48. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 71, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1955.pdf.? 49. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papuan Gulf Mission,” page 82, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1961.pdf.? 50. John R. Richardson, “New Headquarters Opened,” Australasian Record, December 7, 1964, 5.? 51. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 87, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf.? 52. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 109, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf.? 53. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “South west Papuan Mission,” page 127, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1977.pdf.? 54. Personal knowledge of the author as the president of the South Pacific Division at the time; Thomas Davai, former president of the PNGUM, email to author, February 3, 2020.? 55. South West Papua Executive Committee Minutes, September 14, 2017, “SWPM Administration Relocation to Epo, Kikori,” SWPM archives, SWPM, Epo, Kerema.? 56. Pauline Yorio, Administrative Secretary, Papua New Guinea Union Mission to author, February 2, 2020.? 57. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 78, accessed January 31, 2020 http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1950.pdf.? 58. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 89, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf.? 59. Ibid.? 60. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 87, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf.? 61. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 109, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf.? 62. Ibid.? 63. Bruce Manners, “Session Votes for Restructure,” Record, November 25, 2000, 8-9.? 64. Baia Warapa, youth and personal ministries director for the South West Papua Mission, email to author via Pauline Yorio, administrative secretary of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, July 16, 2019.? 65. The statistics for this observation were supplied by Calvyn Sio. He is the chief financial officer and the mission secretary for South West Papua Mission (2019).? 66. Baia Warapa, youth and personal ministries director for the South West Papua Mission, email to author via Pauline Yorio, administrative secretary of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, July 16, 2019.?

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