PARISHES in the Central Melanesia Diocese of the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACoM) celebrated the 50th ACOM Anniversary of Mission and Ministry after becoming a separate province from the Anglican Church of New Zealand.
The jubilee celebration was held in Honiara from Friday 24January to Sunday 26 January.
The celebration theme was: “Our Golden Past, Serving Our Present And Envisioning Our Future Together”.
In his sermon during the jubilee Sunday service, the ACOM Archbishop, the Most Reverend Leonard Dawea said, the theme was a profound one, inviting ACOM’s Diocesans to celebrate their history and their active participation in serving the Church today and collectively envisioning the future of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
He said the anniversary celebrates the contributions of ACOM’s forebears and current diocesans to the ACOM Church ministry, adding that the contributions of the current young generation will be celebrated in the future.
Assistant Bishop, Right Reverend Othniel Gamutu also spoke at the jubilee service, saying the last 50 years was not easy.
“God led the missionaries to come to our shores to do their mission. Because if they were in their right mind, none of them would have ended up here in our islands to do mission.
“They went through suffering to make sure they brought light of the good news to our islands. Therefore, we thank God for leading them here and making their mission successful and we thank the missionaries for their time and effort,” Bishop Gamutu said.
Bishop Gamutu thanked all missionaries of the past and also the present, for dedicating their life to serving God and members of the Anglican Province and bringing ACOM through the last 50 years.
He touched on late Bishop John C Patteson’s platform, which he said were built on the three pillars of True Religion, Sound Learning and Useful Industry.
Bishop Gamutu said these pillars were aimed at strengthening the diocese’s commitment towards a more inclusive and transformative mission approach.
“Most of us who now have jobs went through formal education. We went through these three pillars. Several of those who have gone through these three pillars have become key figures in the Government, the Church, in our islands and in our families. This is the very thing that we must celebrate today,” Bishop Gamutu said.
“And the question I want to leave here is this: From today until another 50 years, will we still rely on overseas missionaries to do the mission for us?
“In the next 50 years, our children now should and will see a different kind of celebration of the ACoM Centennial celebration, compared to today.
“Before, it was the times of expatriates who have sacrificed their time and efforts to build the mission and ministry here in Melanesia.
“But I believe they have done what they have been expecting from you and me. Therefore, may we put our hearts, our hands and work together to do something for the next fifty years. So that when we celebrate the centennial years in another 50 years, we can see something different and have different story to talk about.
“This is something for us to think about. What can we do so that we can achieve something in the next fifty years to come?” Bishop Gamutu said.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
