Berebei Seventh-day Adventist Church: Brief History
The Berebei Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church is one of the pioneer Adventist congregations in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. It was established shortly after the first Seventh-day Adventist church was founded in the Besiatabu District in 1908.
From Besiatabu, the Adventist message spread to the Sirinumu area through one of the elderly residents from the Sirinumu Dam region. This individual brought the Adventist mission to Berebei. As a result, Berebei became a center from which the Adventist faith expanded, eventually influencing the entire surrounding area to accept the Seventh-day Adventist message.
In 1962, prior to the construction of the Sirinumu Dam—which was intended to supply water and electricity to the capital city, Port Moresby—government officers, Mr. Moorish and Mr. Marsh, instructed villagers living within the dam catchment area to vacate their homes, as the land was to be flooded.
The officers traveled to Gebodabu Village, where the Berebei SDA Church was originally located. Mr. Moorish informed the villagers of the government’s plans and ordered them to relocate before construction began. Although the villagers were informed, many initially resisted leaving their ancestral land. As a result, government officers forcefully removed them by burning down their homes.
Mr. Moorish later approached the church building and confronted Mr. Nuana Bobogi, an elderly man and a respected leader of the church. He handed Mr. Bobogi a box of matches and ordered him to set fire to the church. Mr. Bobogi refused and responded, “It is your duty; you have been given the responsibility to do so.” Without further hesitation, the officer set fire to the church building.
As the flames consumed the church, members and villagers stood by in deep sorrow, watching until the building was completely destroyed. During this painful moment, Mr. Marsh made a promise to the congregation, stating, “The government will build you a new church wherever you settle.”
However, despite this assurance, the promise was never fulfilled.
Source of Oral History:
Story told by Nuana Namari
Recorded on 14 June 2013
CURRENT STATUS OF THE CHURCH
Today, the Berebei Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown significantly; however, much work still remains to be done. From the Berebei Church, three additional churches have been organized, demonstrating the strong evangelistic impact of this congregation. Despite this growth, the church continues to strive to serve the community and save lost souls. During the PNG For Christ 30 souls got baptized not included from our 3 branch churches.
The total adult membership of the Berebei SDA Church is 350 members. The children’s membership, as recorded in the church roll, stands at 50 children aged 15 years and below, bringing the overall total membership to approximately 450.
Despite this spiritual growth, physical infrastructure development has been largely neglected. This is mainly due to the church’s geographical location and the low economic living standards of its members. Most church members are subsistence farmers, producing only enough food for family consumption and limited sale to meet basic needs such as school fees. As a result, the church has very limited financial capacity to develop essential infrastructure independently.
Additionally, access to Adventist education has been minimal in this area. Many young people are unable to progress to higher levels of education, and only a very small number—estimated at one out of every hundred—manage to reach college or university. This lack of educational opportunity has negatively affected long-term church and community development.
It is strongly believed that establishing an Adventist education pathway, beginning with Early Childhood Education and continuing through primary school, within the church compound would significantly improve retention of children and youth. Such an initiative would help nurture Christian values, improve educational outcomes, and contribute to building a strong, sustainable future for the church and the wider community.