University establishment in the pipeline

The Church of Melanesia is stepping up actions to establish its own university soon.

To prepare for this the Church set up a Taskforce Committee selected from the government, private and church institutions with a mandate to oversee the implementation of the project through their plans and advice to the management.

COM Tertiary Institution Project Manager Mr. Philip Kapini confirmed that the project is a huge undertaking by the Church that needs the concerted effort of everyone in its implementation.

“This project will be carried out in stages and like all projects, funds to implement it will have to be found and the committee or management for that matter will be tasked to outsource funds from abroad and locally.

“My immediate task is to liase with the Government through the Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Training to discuss the project and get further information that would assist in the establishment of the university.

“In order to realize these plans, the Church will continue to seek active involvement of government and other organizations.”

Mr. Kapini said the government's current policy on education encourages and fully supports private organisations and Churches in setting up such tertiary institutions.

He said the first of the preliminary work is to look at the architectural and engineering work to develop a visual concept to be put into a context that reflects the setting suitable for us.

The university is anticipating a fully fledged programme on education and health with emphasis on designing the course programmes that would be attractive to encourage and enable private students to enrol.

He said a land of almost 200 hectares has already been secured at a cost of 2.6 million dollars behind Black Post area on north Guadalcanal and landowners have given their full backing for the project in anticipation of the spin-offs from the establishment.

A plan to set up the university follows the need to relocate BPTC on west Guadalcanal where university level programmes in theology are currently being run.

COM NAMED NEW BISHOP FOR HANUATOO

The Rev'd Alfred Karibongi was today elected the new Bishop of the Diocese of Hanuato'o. Fr. Karibongis election was announced by the Archbishop of the Church of Melanesia and the Council of Bishops who formalised the result this afternoon during the Bishops meeting at TNK on north Guadalcanal where the election was held.

A former Vicar General of the Diocese of Central Melanesia, Fr. Karibongi is presently the Dean of St Barnabas Cathedral in Honiara. Fr. Karibongi was a former Agriculture Officer in the government before taking up theological studies in 1987.

He graduated with a Diploma in Theology at Bishop Patteson Theological College in 1990 and later obtained a Bachelor of Theology at St Johns Theological College in Auckland, New Zealand in 2002. Fr. Karibongis consecration and installation will take place later this year in the Diocese of Hanuatoo. He is from Arosi in Makira. He is married to Esther and they have six children.

SEAFARERS REMEMBERED

Seafarers in Solomon Islands on July 8^th joined the worldwide seafaring community to commemorate Sea Sunday in a prayer service at Point Cruz in Honiara.

Sea Sunday is normally commemorated with a prayer service to acknowledge the work done by the sailers and fishers, remember seamen who laid down their lives for the good of others and also to offer thanksgiving. Speaking during the service, Solomon Islands Port Chaplain Fr. Wilson Mapuru said seafarers are our nations lifeline.

Without them we would have to do without many of the things that we depend on in our daily lives like food, clothes, oil and many other essential items. To do their jobs, seafarers have to leave their homes and families for long periods and face loneliness and danger and that is why the Mission to Seafarers reaches out to them on behalf of the Church to offer them spiritual and practical support in our sea ports,he said.

Fr. Mapuru said even though Seafarers play such a vital role in our lives, they are easy to disregard as they are mostly out of sight. They spend little time ashore as ships can load in a matter of hours, and many ports are situated far from town and cities. For Seafarers, this means that they are not only isolated when they are at sea, but also when they are alongside in port.

He said whilst most Seafarers are well treated, some are still abandoned in ports far from their homes, or remain unpaid or forced to work in unsafe or in unacceptable conditions. In such situations, the Mission plays a vital role in providing practical care and support.

Meanwhile in Vanuatu, Port Vila Parish has organized a similar service for the seafarers at the Church of the Resurrection at Tagabe.

Chaplain to Seafarers in Vanuatu Fr. Joseph Tagaro celebrated with words of encouragements for seafarers coming from Fr. John Steven Huri; a Parish Rector who is also the Chairman of the local committee in Port Vila.

The guest speaker at the service was the Minister of Trade, Tourism commerce and industry, Hon. James Bule who spoke highly of the work rendered by the local seafarers and also acknowledged the presence of the Office of the Mission to Seafarers in Vanuatu. He said this work must continue to be supported and pledged the governments commitment to assist the Church in running this ministry.

October Elections

The Most Rev. Sir Ellison Pogo, Father of the Brotherhood and Archbishop of the Church of Melanesia, announced the results following the elections on October 27th.

Founded in 1925, the Brothers are an Anglican Community based primarily in the Solomon Islands, but now expanding into other parts of the world. Br. George Siosi from Santa Ana in the Solomon Islands was elected Head Brother, replacing Br. Calton Weris from Vanuatu. The new Assistant Head Brother is Br. Alick Palusi.

Three Brothers were also elected to head the three Brotherhood Regions as Regional Head Brothers. They are Br. Matthias Leeman for Solomon Islands, Br. Mathias Tovotasi for Papua New Guinea and Br. Wilford Tari for Southern Region of Vanuatu and Fiji.

The election was held at the Melanesian Brothers' Headquarters at Tabalia on west Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands at the completion of the 11th Great Conference of the Brotherhood and Companions.