14. A Visitor to Tari: 1954

November 1954 The General Secretary of Methodist Overseas Missions (MOM) in the 1950s was Rev Cecil Gribble. He was very interested and encouraging of the new mission work in the Southern Highlands and began to visit Mendi regularly from 1951. In 1954 he came from Sydney to visit the new work in Tari for theContinue reading “14. A Visitor to Tari: 1954”

05. Setepano Nabwakulea: a Teacher from Papuan Islands District, 1951

Mendi 1951-1953 ‘We are thankful for the strong missionary instincts of the Younger Churches and for the gift of these young workers from the Solomons, Papua and New Guinea.’ Missionary Review 1953 Setepano Nabwakulea was one of the first men from Papuan Islands District to go to work with the new mission in Mendi. HeContinue reading “05. Setepano Nabwakulea: a Teacher from Papuan Islands District, 1951”

04. Memories of Mrs Grace Young, 1951

Mendi 1950-51 While Rev Gordon Young was busy establishing a new mission in Mendi, his wife Grace Young was also preparing to join him. At first, she had to wait while her husband went ahead. Gordon and Grace Young had been working in Namatanai Circuit on New Ireland with the Methodist Church since the endContinue reading “04. Memories of Mrs Grace Young, 1951”

03. Starting a New Mission, 1950

Mendi, November 1950 As soon as Gordon Young heard that the MOM Board had approved their new mission, he was very keen to make a start.  The next time Assistant District Officer Alan Timperley went on a patrol to Mendi from Mount Hagen, Young went with him. In his first letter from Mendi, Young wrote:Continue reading “03. Starting a New Mission, 1950”

01. Pioneers to the Highlands, 1950

What was the dream for a new mission in the Southern Highlands in 1950? In Sydney in 1949 and 1950 the Methodist Overseas Missions Board started to discuss some new work. For a long time, they had been very worried about the terrible war that came to the Pacific between 1942 and 1945. The war,Continue reading “01. Pioneers to the Highlands, 1950”