What if these walls could talk? The Korobosea SDA Church in Port Moresby stands as more than just bricks and mortar. It represents a vibrant history and a testament to faith.
Korobosea SDA Church emerged from the expansion of Seventh-day Adventist presence in Port Moresby. The original Ela Beach Seventh-day Adventist Church faced overcrowding. Church leaders decided to establish new churches. Korobosea was one of these new locations. Other churches included June Valley Gordons Hohola and Sabama.
Ela Beach Seventh-day Adventist Church had a humble beginning in 1952. Forty-four years earlier the first missionaries arrived in Port Moresby.
Before these churches were built the Adventist pioneers faced significant obstacles. In 1906 officials in Australia allocated Sabbath School offerings. This funded a Papuan Mission. Septimus and Edith Carr arrived in Port Moresby in 1908. They were the first Seventh-day Adventists in Papua. They established a training school at Bisiatabu near Port Moresby.
Early church growth was slow. In 1910 missionaries formed a church. It had six charter members. These included the Carrs the Smiths Beni and Salomona Tuaine.
Missionaries learned the local Koiari language. They engaged local workers like Faole. Faole would later conduct services. Beni tried to spread Christianity in the Owen Stanley Ranges.
The years 1914 to 1920 were stagnant for the Papuan Mission. Then tragedy struck. Beni died from a snake bite. Church leaders almost lost faith.
Griffiths and Marion Jones arrived in 1921. They worked with Fijian helpers. By 1923 a group of 20 promising students remained.
Gerald and Winifred Peacock replaced the Joneses. Will and Mollie Lock arrived with nurse Emily Heise. They started work at the Efogi station. Albert Bateman assisted. From Fiji came Nafitali Navara and his wife Vasiti. They replaced Mitieli and Fika.
A highlight in 1926 was the conversion of Meanou and his wife Iamo. Meanou offered land at Tupuselei for a training school. Lock Engelbrecht and Meanou worked on translating the Motu language.
Later Lock acquired land at Korela. The Mitchells moved to Korela. They started a school for the people of Wanigela Village. This gradually created a network of mission stations along the coast.
After the Comity Agreement collapsed the Adventist Mission could expand. It began working in more populated areas. Fijians and locals supervised some stations. Faole and his wife returned to Efogi. They ministered to their own people.
The Korobosea SDA Church stands as a symbol of this growth. It represents the dedication and hard work of those early missionaries and local converts. It shows how the Seventh-day Adventist message spread throughout Papua New Guinea. The church continues to be a place of worship community and spiritual growth for many.