NEW CBC CHURCH BUILDING: A TESTAMENT OF WHAT OUR PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF WITHOUT GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
PORT MORESBY: NCD Governor Hon. Powes Parkop has emphasized that locals can achieve great things even without government support.
Speaking during the opening of the new Christian Brethren Church (CBC) infrastructure along Gado and Wilhelm Places at Morata 1 on Saturday, Governor Parkop said he was impressed with this self-funded development.
The new church building itself stands as a testament to what the people are capable of, he added.
The new church building has a seating capacity of more than 500.
"Today, I am opening the new Chapel of the Christian Brethren Church at Morata. This is a church we helped to build to provide spiritual services and support to our people in Morata around 10 years ago, and now I am back to open this new Chapel they built with their own efforts, without my support."
Governor Parkop committed to sealing the street roads next year.
He also committed K30,000 towards the enrollment of the Early Childhood Development program at the Church facility.
Another K30,000 was donated by the CBC Southern Regional Office.
Giving a background to the church's journey, Governor Parkop recalled that they started building the church in 1992 from scratch, saying church services were conducted under banana trees. But now, there stands a permanent structure worth more than K800,000 today.
"It was also a challenge to build a church among the community renowned for a high rate of crime and violence in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
"Today is a testament to the Church and the community for changing the community into a much safer and peaceful community. This is also a testament to the work of the church and its interaction with the community at Morata. This is also why I have been supporting the CBC Church and the nearby Church of Christ in Morata all these years. These two churches do a lot of community outreach in Morata 1, which I have been part of all these years," he said.