THE Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACPM) is appealing to all Anglicans to support all fundraising efforts towards the establishment of John Coleridge Patteson University on Guadalcanal.
Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia Leonard Dawea said all Anglicans must get behind the John Coleridge Patterson University (JCPU) Fundraising Sub-Committee and its plans to raise the resources required to build this university.
Archbishop Dawea was speaking during a church service to commission members of the JCPU Fundraising Sub-Committee and to officially launch JCPU Fundraising activities at Saint Barnabas Provincial Cathedral yesterday.
He said the task may seem daunting but when “we all do our bit in lifting the load, it can and will be done”.
“The university once established will be the pride of the ACOM (Anglican Church of Melanesia).
“It will be a legacy we can leave for our children and their children’s children,” Archbishop Dawea said.
Chairperson of the JCPU Project Planning Committee Sir Nathaniel Waena also raised the same sentiments yesterday.
Sir Nathaniel said to have a university is not a simple matter, nor is it a cheap undertaking to involve in.
“It is a development undertaking which is expensive and truly demands from all of us, our unfailing commitment.
“I humbly call on all able members of the Anglican Church of Melanesia to display our belief in God and our determination to show our desire to enter the presence of the Living God, where we can find true joy, peace and happiness, with God our Creator, by being committed to support this costly development exercise,” Sir Nathaniel said.
He said as chair of the JCPU Project Planning Committee he has been overwhelmed by the support from businessmen and women who voluntarily offered their time and talent to become members of the JCPU Fundraising Committee.
“This liturgical service sets in motion, the involvement of all active members of the ACOM, throughout the province of Melanesia.
“We are all being called upon, as baptized members of the ACOM, to come forward with our talents and resources, as an independent church of God, to pledge our unfailing support and resourceful talents, in money and in kind, when called upon by our dioceses and the JCPU Fundraising Committee,” Sir Nathaniel said yesterday.
The church service yesterday was attended by members of the council of bishops, invited guests, members of the JCPU Project Planning Committee and sub-committees and Anglicans from the different dioceses.
The idea for the Anglican Church of Melanesia to have its own university was first brought before the General Synod in 2002. However, it was only last week during the General Synod at Selwyn College that approval was granted by the synod for the establishment of JCPU at the Kosu site on Guadalcanal.
