THE Papua New Guinea Union Mission’s Governance and Local Church Finance Training has arrived in Vanimo, with church leaders from across the Sandaun Province region gathering at Wara Stone Church for a dedicated program serving the western arm of Sepik Mission. Mission President Pastor Henry Monape travelled to Vanimo personally to accompany the two facilitators and oversee the delivery of the training.
The training is facilitated by Rex R. Rosas, Associate Chief Financial Officer for PNGUM, and Stephen Currow, Governance Development Officer for the South Pacific Division, who have been conducting this same program across the country. Having completed rounds in Morobe and more recently in Wewak, the two facilitators now bring their combined expertise to Vanimo, reaching communities that serve the remote areas of Bewani, Sumumini, Amanab and Vanimo central.
Vanimo sits far from Wewak. The only practical link between the two is by air, making travel between them both logistically demanding and expensive. For this reason, Sepik Mission has long conducted programs separately for its Wewak and Vanimo regions, a practical recognition that geography must not become a barrier to equipping every part of the mission field.
WHAT THE TRAINING COVERS: GOVERNANCE
Stephen Currow’s governance sessions ground participants in the structure and accountability systems that hold the Seventh-day Adventist Church together at every level. Church leaders are introduced to the foundational principle that every officer, committee member, and board representative carries delegated authority and with that authority, the responsibility of a trustee.
Participants learn the five pillars of good governance: ethos, which sets the tone and values of the organisation; strategy, which determines direction and priorities; structure, which provides the rhythm for consistent operations; quality, which covers accountability, compliance, audits and transparency; and sustainability, which ensures the ongoing health of the organisation through sound risk management. Each pillar is unpacked with practical application for the local church and mission context.
A key distinction explored in the sessions is the difference between governance and management. Church leaders are reminded that their role as governors is to be a critical friend of the organisation to ask hard questions, uphold accountability, and approve direction while leaving the day-to-day operations to administrators. Understanding that boundary is presented as one of the most practical steps toward a healthy, functional church organisation.
WHAT THE TRAINING COVERS: LOCAL CHURCH FINANCE
Rex R. Rosas leads the local church finance sessions, walking participants through the financial responsibilities that come with church leadership at every level. The training covers the importance of accurate and timely reporting of tithes and offerings, the role of treasurers and finance committees, and the standards expected in the management and stewardship of church funds.
Participants are introduced to the concept of delegated financial authority understanding clearly what each officer and committee is authorised to approve, and at what threshold decisions must be escalated. The sessions also address compliance schedules, audit readiness, and the practical steps local churches need to take to ensure their financial records are in order and accountable to those who entrusted them with resources.
Central to the finance sessions is a call to faithful stewardship. Church leaders are reminded that the funds passing through local church accounts are not their own they are entrusted resources belonging to God and His people, to be managed with integrity, transparency and accountability at every step.
PART OF A NATIONAL JOURNEY
The Vanimo training is not a standalone event. It is part of a deliberate national rollout by PNGUM, designed to build governance and financial literacy from the ground up at the local church level, through local missions, and ultimately toward the Union’s strategic goal of becoming a Union Conference by 2030. The program is expected to conclude today, with every church leader equipped in Vanimo, Bewani, Sumumini and Amanab adding another foundation stone to that larger vision.
