Lutheran University to be opened in 2010?

I APPLAUD the decision made by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG) to have a Lutheran University by 2010 (The National 18/12/08). However, I wonder if Balob Teachers College and Martin Luther Seminary are ideal venues for this university as proposed by the establishment committee. ELC-PNG had never made an attempt to renovate nor refurnish some of the buildings and certain conditions in these establishments as they are rapidly deteriorating, let alone helping it’s institutions solving food and water problems. Balob Teachers College, Martin Luther Seminary, and other ELC-PNG learning institutions around the country were built by Overseas Lutheran Partners; and as such, ELC-PNG should have pride in providing the much needed maintenance and help it could to offer these institutions. I was a graduate of Balob Teachers College and I have seen this first hand because ELC-PNG doesn’t want to help maintain it’s own institutions when they are in dire need of building repairs or chipping in with food when there is a shortage at the college. Balob Teachers College’s 2008 graduation was postponed to next year; for example, is also evident in ELC-PNG’s inability to maintain it’s learning institutions needs. The times for asking money from Overseas Lutheran Partners is gone and ELC-PNG by now should stand on it’s own two feet to maintain it’s learning institutions as well as the assets. Divert some of the money raised to upgrade ELC-PNG’s learning institutions’ facilities, which were far from falling apart. If ELC-PNG can’t maintain it’s existing learning facilities, why establishing a new university? Will ELC-PNG continue to beg from Overseas Lutheran Partners to maintain it’s existing learning facilities, eventhough; ELC-PNG reaffirm itself to be dependent decades ago? If ELC-PNG goes ahead with it’s establishment of the university and subsequently the opening in 2010, I keep my fingers crossed because; ELC-PNG has serious in-house matters to be solved as Lutherans (myself included) have been manipulated by prejudicial church leadership over the years. Therefore, Lutherans can’t assume that business is as usual at Ampo. We hope, Bishop Zau Rapa will ultimately put an end to a long game of tug-of-war which has been going on at Ampo for decades.

David Ulg Ketepa
Ex-Balob Trs College (1992-1994)
Michigan, USA