“Papua New Guinea, the nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn!”
“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”(Isaiah 60:3,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Oceania
Population | 9.6 million
Area | 462,840㎢, located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific.
Capital City | Port Moresby (400,000 people)
People Groups | Total 885 groups, Melanesians 96% (such as the Enga, Melpa, Huli, Kuman, Papua, Kamano, and Golin peoples) Micronesians 2%, Polynesians 1%
Unreached People Groups | 1 group (Jews – 1,100 people)
Official Language(s) | Tok Pisin, English, Hiri Motu
Total Languages | 827
Bible Translations | Completed 20, New Testament 268, Partial 134
Religion | Christianity 94.4% (Protestant 52%, Catholic 25%), Ethnic Religion 5%, Non-religious 0.5%, Evangelical 23% (2 million people)
》 About Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea’s colonial history began in 1660 with the Dutch East India Company’s claim of sovereignty. In the 18th century, the Dutch, Germans, and British partitioned the island. The Dutch took western New Guinea in 1828, Germany claimed the northeast in 1884, and Britain declared a protectorate over the southern coast the same year. A treaty in 1895 finalized the boundary between Dutch West New Guinea (now Indonesian Papua) and British-controlled territories. Britain’s part became the Territory of Papua under Australian administration in 1906. Australia governed all regions under a League of Nations mandate after World War I, until Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975 as a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as head of state and James Marape serving as Prime Minister since 2019. The Bougainville separatist conflict (1988–1997), rooted around the Panguna copper mine, resulted in about 20,000 deaths. Bougainville established its autonomous government in 2001. A November–December 2019 referendum saw 98.3 % vote for independence.
Economically, Papua New Guinea struggles despite rich mineral wealth. Rugged terrain, land tenure issues, and costly infrastructure limit development. About 85 % of the population relies on subsistence agriculture. Exports include coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil accounting for around 10% of exports, and minerals (copper, gold, oil), which account for two thirds of export earnings. LNG exports began in 2014. Govt efforts focus on investor security, restoring institutional integrity, and privatizing select public services to boost efficiency.
Papua New Guinea’s GDP per capita is approximately $2,572.
》 Scripture Focus
| Isaiah 60:1–5(NIV) 1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” 2 “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” 3 “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.” 5 “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.” |
》 Prayer Points
1. The gospel came to Papua New Guinea more than 140 years ago. Many missionaries gave their time and even their lives to spread the gospel. Now, almost every group in the country has heard the gospel, and over 94 percent of the people say they are Christians. But some people became disappointed with Christianity and went back to old traditions, cargo cults which hold that ancestors will return in ships or planes to liberate them from white rule, or tribal religions. Witchcraft and magic have increased again. Many communities now carry out witch hunts, where people thought to use dark magic are tortured and killed. Sexual immorality has also become a serious issue, and HIV is spreading fast. It has become a crisis. Many young people are spiritually empty and are caught up in postmodern ideas, global culture, and selfish desires. Even though churches are divided, the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches and the Evangelical Alliance are trying to bring churches back to the truth of the cross. Let us pray that God will renew this nation through the gospel and help it shine His light so that other nations may be drawn to the light of His truth.
2. Many international mission groups are working in Papua New Guinea. These include New Tribes Mission (NTM), Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT), the Swiss Evangelical Brotherhood Mission, Pioneer Bible Translators, and the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). They work in health care, education, development, Bible translation, training leaders, and more. Because of the mountains and rough weather, airplanes are needed for most mission work. Groups like MAF, JAARS, and NTM fly missionaries and supplies through some of the hardest flight conditions in the world. Let us pray that all pilots, mechanics, and missionaries will be safe as they travel and share the gospel. May this mission work bring many people to God, like sons coming from far away and daughters being carried in.
3. Many tribal languages still need the Bible to be translated, and many people still cannot read. Let us pray for the missionaries, local translators, and language helpers working with NTM, SIL, the Bible Translation Association, and the Bible Society. May they have the wisdom and strength to keep going. On Bougainville Island, where about 250,000 people divided into 26 distinct ethnic groups, pain and hate from the past have improved, but real forgiveness and peace are still needed. Now that Bougainville is independent, may the church and government work together to build a nation on the gospel. Even when darkness is all around and people are losing hope, may the Holy Spirit fill this land so that the beauty of the gospel can shine for all to see.
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