WEWAK: Pastor Rayden Wanji has been appointed as the new Adventist Youth Ministries and Family Ministries Director for the Sepik Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the next five years, replacing Pastor Richie Gako.

His appointment was officially confirmed and announced on Tuesday, 7th October 2025, during the Mission’s quinquennial business session held at Gander Hall in Wewak, East Sepik Province.

Originally from Para Village in the Kubalia District along the Sepik Highway and raised in the Tangara suburb of Wewak, Pastor Wanji has been actively involved in church activities since his early childhood. Over the years, he developed a strong passion for youth ministry and took on various leadership roles within the church, helping shape his calling to serve young people and families.

During his early ministry years, Pastor Wanji served in the Western Highlands Mission, where he met his wife, Kamet. The couple married there and are now blessed with three children.

They later returned to serve in the Sepik Mission, where Pastor Wanji was ordained to the gospel ministry. He has since served in several capacities, including local church pastor and District Director for the East Coast Schouten Islands District, covering parts of the Turubu area.

With years of hands-on experience in youth ministry and pastoral work, his appointment is seen as a timely move by the Mission to strengthen the spiritual growth and family life of Adventist youths across the greater Sepik region.

Pastor Wanji’s appointment marks a continuation of the Mission’s commitment to building strong, faith-driven leaders to guide the next generation of Adventists in East and West Sepik.