CLRC Churches

Secretary Kwa welcomed everyone to the Conference noting that this is an important conference where CLRC is facilitating to gather the Church leaders and hear their views on sorcery and how they are addressing sorcery. He acknowledged the partnership of DJAG and DFCD, DJAG being the lead agency in SNAP. He mentioned that the conference is a follow up of CLRC’s work earlier on Sorcery. It is based on the recommendations of CLRC, that the Sorcery law was repealed. Thus, law is not the only answer. The conference is to hear form the church and their work in addressing sorcery.

He further mentioned that the proceedings of the conference will inform the implementation of SNAP.

Speech by United Nations Population Fund Representative: Mr. Steven Paniu

Program Analyst, UNFPA

Mr. Steven Paniu, the Program Analyst with the UNFPA introduced the work of the United Nations Population Fund, and stated the reasons for supporting the conference. That is to address gender based violence in the country- one of their focus areas.

He also presented some data of gender based violence incidents in the country.

Secretary Kalinoe welcomed the departmental heads, the church leaders and deliberated on the Department’s view on its role as the lead agency in the Sorcery National Action Plan (SNAP).

He emphasized that SNAP’s aim is to break the link between belief and violence.   Thus, everyone has the responsibility – neighbor, the State etc. Law is not the only answer; sorcery is the reflection of maturity, a state of society. There are causes and effects of sorcery. SNAP therefore emphasizes on the issues surrounding sorcery.

Highest penalty is death penalty – a category of murder, including sorcery. The aim of death penalty is about sending the message, and not killing of people.

Church role impacting on belief system. Church is a strongest influence with people. SNAP Program is an holistic response, at 2 levels (i) health awareness, and ii) violence related. Thus 4 core areas of SNAP:

1. Psychosocial Health Services
2. Advocacy and communication – church role
3. Legal and protection
4. Research

Speech by Secretary for the Department for Community Development and Religion, Ms. Anna Solomon,

Secretary, Department for Community Development and Religion

Secretary for the department for Community Development (DFCD), Ms. Anna Solomon stressed on the Family unit- ending violence and empowering family, women, children and the youths. She made several important points:

–       She shared her personal experience with the church.

–       She pointed out that it is important to understand the factors of shame and accusations.

–       In 2012, the DFCD established the Office for Religion (making reference to the Alotau Accord of 2012).

–       Church is the connection to the people. Therefore church is trusted more than the government.

–       The office for Religion has a critical role in partnership.

Strengthening institution, partnership and coordination.

–       There is the National Gender based Strategy – 2016-2025 (Protecting life of people). It is about ownership, monitoring and supporting.

What role can churches play? The role to change people’s mindset, and belief). This is in line with the Prime Minister’s message emphasizing on “behavior and attitude change”.

Church playing role to educate people on sorcery, drug and alcohol – training in the village by Pastor and funded by the DFCD.

She concluded by stating that DFCD wants to see churches going into safe houses.

Churches’   presentation

The first presenter for the Conference was Bishop Jack Urame from the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He did a lot of work around sorcery was he was the Director then of the Melanesian Institute and continues to have interest in researching around sorcery issue.

In his presentation, he tries to answer the question of “what can we as church together contribute to address sorcery”. He provided some data by region where Highlands, is leading with sorcery cases, followed by Momase, Southern Region and the New Guinea Islands. He emphasized on some important points:

–       Degree and frequency of sorcery. To address sorcery, we need to understand the factors.

–       There are very extreme cases (horrific and senseless acts).

–       There needs to be collective/holistic approach to addressing sorcery.

–       Thus, understanding the context of issues in the community is important.

–       There is a sign of traditional system break down, (structures that hold), values, and economic disparities/ imbalances.

For the Lutheran Churches, there is no clear strategy to address belief and violence. Therefore ELC position is to denounce all forms of evil and not accept violence.

The dilemma is the mindset.

He therefore recommended that there must be united efforts, conflict resolution, safe houses, hospitals and restorative justice. Working together to change mindset especially the churches themselves. There must be Christian education, in church – gospel of liberation, and included in the school curriculum. Thus, it is church duty to prevent, and to intervene.

This presentation discusses the age old issue of the sorcery and witchcraft in PNG from Christian perceptive. It highlights the fact that sorcery and witchcraft are prevalent in a Christian Country such as PNG and that almost after one hundred and thirty years of Christianity has eradicated these related evils. The presentation stresses that the issues related to sorcery and witchcraft are spiritual problems and must be dealt with by Spiritual means. It ague’s that the Churches are already doing it but needs the State to support it. The call for collaborating effort in combating the ills of sorcery and witchcraft is the way forward to the solving.

He further ague’s that the Church can still teach and preach the Spiritual knowledge about the issues because God’s power is greater than the powers of darkness. The Churches approach is about Grace and Salvation unlike that of the State that seeks punishment for offends. Sorcerers and witches can be reformed through spiritual approach. Passing laws against sorcery and witchcraft will not stop all the killings and practices. For the Church, it is about the Grace and deliverance. The State can help with awareness in support of the Churches. Punishing the assumed perpetrators will not eradicate the practice, rather escalate it.

Presentation by Divine Word University, Dr. Phillip Gibbs

Divine Word University

Fr Philip Gibbs presented on the Catholic Church’s view on sorcery and how it is addressing sorcery. The Catholic Church regards sorcery belief and practice as a form of idolatry — the worship of false gods. Superstition, magic, sorcery and witchcraft come under this category. As a faith community the Church believes not only in God, but also in the existence of evil and of the reality of “evil spirits”.

He presented some data of sorcery cases in the Highlands. The apparent resurgence of belief and practice of sorcery and witchcraft, particularly in the Highlands is perceived as a serious spiritual challenge for the Church in PNG today. Thus, in addressing sorcery in Papua New Guinea today, the Catholic Church takes a comprehensive approach, relating spiritual, communal and justice/human rights dimensions. Spiritually the Church seeks to confront evil with prayer and other forms of spiritual support.

He gave examples of how the Catholic Church is addressing sorcery. At the communal level there are awareness workshops at the Diocesan and parish levels, provision of temporary safe-houses for accused and specific strategies such as the five-point plan of the Diocese of Kundiawa.   From the perspective of the Social Teaching of the Church there are awareness initiatives at the national and international (Universal Periodic Review) levels. The Church seeks to work closely with police and other legal and justice entities, and is a strong supporter of the Sorcery National Action Plan (SNAP).

Presentation by Baptist Church: Pastor. Timothy Lim, Boroko Baptist Church

A Baptist’s pragmatic role and view to addressing sorcery in Papua New Guinea. Pastor Lim’s presentation advocates for a practical action plan to address the practice of sorcery killings in PNG.   As sorcery is related to the spirits and the spirituality of the dead, a simple theological understanding of sorcery need first be explained to the community by audio visual means (DVDs), right down to the grassroots level. Most sorcery violence and killings are prevalent at the lower literacy grassroots levels and majority of its victims are women, who got severely traumatised, if they are by God’s grace, still alive, that is.

As sorcery is fundamentally a spiritual issue, the Church must address sorcery as an essential part of its mission of the gospel and its expression of Christ’s compassion to His creatures. His presentation advocated for a 5-star action plan:

–       An Education Action Program comprising of DVDs, training of pastors and church members and the community

–       A Counselling Action Plan for the surviving victims of sorcery, training of WOMEN counsellors (because majority of victims are women) and pastors

–       To provide housing shelter for victims of sorcery, as a matter of policy and plan for every church throughout the nation.

–       Create a nationwide rapport network between the churches and medical establishments and law enforcement agencies to provide essential support to victims, the pastors and church leaders.

–       Legal legislation for mandatory counselling and education for perpetrators of sorcery in PNG, before their release from prison or other sentences.

Summary of Day 1: CLRC

Close of Day 1: Dr. Eric Kwa,

Secretary, Constitutional and Law Reform Commission

Presentation by Pentecostal Church: Reverend Joseph Walters OBE

Tabernacle of Prayer Ministries

Reverend Joseph Walters was the first presenter for the second day conference because others scheduled to present in the morning did not attend.

Reverend Walters talked mainly about what the scriptures says, and the power of prayer. He raised a number of points:

–       Bringing out the natural first;

–       Sorcery etc. are symptoms of spiritual condition/ spiritual war. Therefore the works of the enemy. He quoted John 10:10, and 1John 10:15, and Ephesians 6)

–       It is a wrestle against principalities and not bodies.

–       Pentecostal churches have weapons but they are not being used. Pentecostal perspective include:

–       Church in need for fresh approach to set the churches in a new direction (using neutral people) the answer is the Bible. Therefore, the Church must bring the power factor back to the Church, the Holy Spirit. All churches has root in Holy Spirit, is what the country needs. The perfect example is Christ.

The Director for the Melanesian Institute talked about “Sanguma in Paradise? – Contesting the Theological Discourse of Churches” .

Back in the 4th century Saint Augustine of Hippo defined theology as “reasoning or discuss on concerning the Deity”. Theology is more than reasoning or engaging in rhetorical discourse about God. It is the desire to see our life in God’s plan; the longing to experience Him when life’s challenges test us—birth, growth, decline and death. Each of us who reaches an advanced age is confronted existentially with biological decay and the inevitability of death as we approach the end of our life journeys. The reality is that death is an everywhere and everyday phenomenon. People in different cultures have different perspectives on these stages of life. For this reason it is necessary to review whether our Christian theology helps people to provide a new perspective on death beyond their traditional way and thus, whether the Christian belief addresses within their culture some of their concerns especially when related to sorcery.   Scholars may philosophise about death and theologians treat it as the consequence of sin and disobedience, but when it calls unexpectedly reflections, theologies and learned dissertations about it are usually not what people need or want. This reality comes to challenge Christians to give an answer and give moral support to people who grieve over their deceased having the assurance of John’s witness on Jesus’ words that those who believe in him will not see death but have eternal life. (Cf Jn 11,26)

His presentation was divided in three parts. The first part deals with Melanesian culture and its traditional worldview (with PNG as my point of reference). Having presented the way people see their reality, in the second part focus on mourning the dead as a social phenomenon and also highlight some traditional beliefs with negative implications that are embedded in the traditional worldview. The third part is an attempt to bring Christian faith into dialogue with this aspect of culture, to look for opportunities to reflect on our context, in order to more effectively minister to people on occasions like funerals. Finally, the last part refers to the work of the Melanesian institute throughout 46 years serving the peoples of Papua New Guinea with an especial emphasis on the still burning issue of sorcery and witchcraft.

Presentation by Christian Leaders Training College, Dr. William Longgar, Principal, Christian Leaders Training College,

Dr. William Longgar’s presentation affirms the reality of sorcery. Sorcery as a practice is evil. No amount of rationalizing the reality of sorcery will help to address the issue sensibly. Sorcery was very much a part of the socio-cultural and socio-religious experiences of Papua New Guineans. In the past it served important functions for the communities that practiced it, even though many of the functions were evil. Dealing with the issue of sorcery he mentions reminds us of the dualism that existed in our traditional societies, with which our people had to face daily. The dualism between the forces of good and evil formed the existential realities our people had to live with.

He raised the concern of the shift one is witnessing between culturally defined sorcery practices and the bogus form of sorcery we are now witnessing. For the churches to be able to address the issue of sorcery well, they need to understand three things: (1) Sorcery is real, is evil and is on the increase, (2) what fuels sorcery practices today, (3) what functions sorcery serves, and (4) the churches need to redefine their theologies and ministry philosophies in order to address the problem of sorcery; we need a new mindset.

Presentation by Pacific Adventist University, Mr. Unia Api

Senior Lecturer, PAU

Mr. Unia’s presentation was based on “Occult Sindaun” a study on interschool occult network – a new evolution of occult. There are student ministries that go into tribal fight places and run ministries. It goes down to fundamental belief. He represented the youths as well.

He started by giving a brief on the Seventh day Adventist history in PNG. The SDA is 108 years in PNG. His presentation was interesting as he shares the findings of the occult practice in schools.

He recommended that there should be Students Ministries incorporated into their curriculum, there should be partnership with student Ministries on awareness, and the Government to sponsor theology post graduate students – for example Mr. Warren Marape.

Summary: Department for Community Development, Mr. Waren Marape, AS Office of Religion

Close of Day 2: Dr. Eric Kwa,

Secretary, Constitutional and Law Reform Commission

Presentation by Martin Luther Seminary: Dr. Zirajukic Kemung

Reverend Zirajukic Kemung presented on the “Demonic Monster of Darkness”. He talked about several important points:

–       good spirits and bad sprits

–       realities of sorcery,

–       cosmology the church makes selection, not just pick people,

–       he made reference to vision 2050

–       he talked about the 4 walls (Paulius Matane) : social, political, economic and ….

–       He emphasized on holistic approach

There is duality – contradictory views where there is divided bible interpretation, therefore, not helpful to resolve sorcery. Division allows satan.

–       Missionary objectives are intercultural theology and dialogue – spiritual warefare.

–       Therefore the Lutheran Church’s approach is captured in Mark 16:15, and Roman 18: 25.

–       Message is about salvation, creation and human beings.

Therefore there must be strategic preaching and spiritual warfare- both are methodic.

Way forward is the Bible, to revisit the Preamble and the Constitution, church to reach a common understanding, Pillar 6 of vision 2050, Training in spiritual warfare, research and awareness, to take into account warfare of pastors/ church workers.

He ended his presentation by stating that “victory is already yours before you start the warfare”.

Summary and way forward: CLRC

Secretary, Dr. Eric Kwa facilitated the summary and way forward. The list of recommendations is listed below.

Two recommendations that were identified as immediate way forward:

1)    For Church leaders to be involved in SNAP Committee

2)    For SNAP to be implemented in one hot spot area as pilot (Enga, Hela, WHP and Simbu area), in the first quarter of 2017.

He closed the Conference by thanking the speakers, the participants and everyone that attended and contributed in the 3 days’ conference.

Closing of the program: Dr. Eric Kwa,

Secretary, Constitutional and Law Reform Commission