Dr Reverend George Brown and the South Sea Missionaries first landed with the Gospel on Port Hunter, Duke of York Islands, East New Britain on 15 August, 1875.
On Monday, the United Church formerly Methodist marked this significant annual event as the Dr George Brown Day to celebrate and strengthen the essence and power of the Gospel with dramas, hymns and choirs ,147 years on since the arrival of Gospel of Jesus' Christ in the New Britain region.
Davion Circuit in the Raluana Division of the United Church, celebrated the Dr George Brown Day in style.
The circuit made up of 7 congregations, however, this year only 5 Pia Na Pal participated namely Vunakikiala,Talakua, Ralalar, Vunaulul and Vanulualua.
Bitatita and Raburua did not attend.
Vunaulul congregation hosted this year’s Dr George Brown Day. The celebration started with a March pass led by the Talakua Youths Brass band. The procession included elementary children continued with Vunakikiala, Ralalar, host Vunaulul and Vunalualua.
According to the history of the United Church, Missionary Dr.Reverend George Brown from the Methodist Church in Fiji, brought the gospel to the Duke of York islands and from there the gospel spread throughout the province and the whole New Britain region.
The real significance of the event was the retelling of the first encounters between, Dr.George Brown and his South Sea Missionaries from Fiji and Samoa with the locals from Duke of York and how they were mesmerized by the Missionaries singing as they were sailing towards the shores on Port Hunter, Kinavanua, Molot on 15 August, 1875.
There were 83 Missionaries volunteered to travel to PNG with Dr.George Brown, however only nine were selected.
When the Missionaries arrived in PNG they said to each other, “If we live, if we die we die” Many years later after these missionaries died the Methodist Church combined with another denomination known as the London Missionary Society, which came to be known today as the United Church.
The George Brown Day celebration concluded with the rendition of famous hymns and choirs (male, female and mixed categories.)