Rev. Dr. Jack Urame

Head Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, Rev. Dr. Jack Urame, made this statement in response to the Minister for Information and Communication Technology’s warning that government will shut down social media if it is continuously being abused by citizens.

“We are a democratic nation and we have to protect this,” he stated yesterday at the ELCPNG headquarters at Ampo, in Lae.

“Any decision of the government which will not promote democracy must be rejected.

Head Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, Rev. Dr. Jack Urame, said we have come this far through the grace of God. 

“He has been our shelter, refuge and protector in every step of our journey. And by his grace, we look forward to a new year with joy and hope,” he said in his Christmas message.  

Head Bishop, Rev. Dr. Jack Urame, said the church began the year with a joyful celebration of its 33^rd National Synod, hosted by Papua district in Port Moresby.

“In 2022, the church has been blessed with a new university. The National Parliament has endorsed the ELCPNG Act and the Lutheran University Act, and the work of establishing the university is in progress,” he outlined.

“The church has also been blessed with the landmark of 100 years of Christian influence in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Describing them as “key challenges”, Rev Urame said within the last 46 years, our country's population has increased dramatically.

“This has caused huge social and economic burden for the country because there is an imbalance between population growth and development growth.

“Infrastructure development does not meet the need of the growing population, therefore existing infrastructures are overstressed. As more people are being born, the demand for resources and development increases, thus creates further social stress for the country.