By Rev. Jodie McNeill

Senior Minister, Jamberoo Anglican Church

The Primate of all of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Archbishop Nathan Ingen, visited the Jamberoo Anglican Church as part of his visits to churches in the Sydney region.

Archbishop Ingen is the leader and spokesperson for the three million Anglicans scattered over hundreds of remote communities.

Archbishop Ingen was invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury to attend the Primates Meeting in Rome, but chose to accept the invitation of the Archbishop of Sydney to nurture the partnership his Diocese shares with like-minded, gospel-centred Anglicans, in fellowship with Gafcon Global Anglicans.

The Senior Minister at Jamberoo Anglican Church, Jodie McNeill, hosted the Primate during the Sunday Service on 5 May at 4:00pm, and took the opportunity to interview the Archbishop in front of the congregation.

Archbishop Ingen is a rural clergyman, serving as a bishop in the Diocese of Apro Rongo, in a place he describes as, “on the top of a mountain” in the highlands of PNG.

During the interview, Archbishop Ingen identified three challenges to his role: “finances, training pastors, and reaching remote communities”.

In PNG, the church provides 98 percent of the health and education services, bringing practical care to a country that lacks many of the everyday necessities, which are often taken for granted in Australia.



Close to his heart is the recruitment and training of pastors, and Archbishop Ingen remains deeply thankful for the financial partnership provided by churches in the Sydney Diocese, such as Jamberoo Anglican. 

At present, they are building a theological college in the highlands of PNG, and they are seeking additional funds to set up another ministry training facility in Alotau, near Milne Bay, on the East Coast.