Timeline of West Papua-UCSA Partnership

The Presbytery & Synod of South Australia has been active in relating to the GKI for some years now.

In 2000, Rev Scott Litchfield and the then Gen. Secretary, Rev Stuart Cameron, attended the GKI Assembly in Sorong.

In 2001 Rev Adam and Mrs Kate Tretheway were appointed to serve as Assisted Volunteers in Mission in the GKI's theological college, STT, in Abepura, and taught English there for 3 years. Mrs Lyn Leane accompanied Rev John Barr from UIM in May 2002, and visited both Jayapura and Biak - Numfor Presbytery, which is the focus of the SA partnership with Papua.

In 2003 - John Rumbiak and Iras Mangge and Umberto Arwom from Biak Numfor Presbytery attended the UCA assembly in Melbourne, and then stayed in Adelaide for 2 weeks visit, and Ibu Mary Saud, Ibu Ruth Mawene and Mrs Kate Tretheway visited the SA Synod and then the NSW Synod.

2004 - Rev Herman Awom, Deputy Moderator came for 3 months' study, to improve his spoken English skills, returning for the WA and SA Synods in November of that year.

September 2005 - young people from the GKI Abepura congregation came to South Australia for the SA Youth Camp Out - (SAYCO)

Dec 2005 - Jan 2006 - 9 students from the STT college visited for one month. This made a lot of impact in rural congregations in the Riverland and on Yorke Peninsula, as well as in the city churches. !50 people attended a cultural night in which the Papuans performed wonderful dances and songs, and some traveled for hours to get there.

In March 2006, Rev John Barr, Rev John Minchin and Mrs Lyn Leane from the Presbytery and Synod of SA attended the Assembly of the GKI in Wamena.

Rev John Barr has continued to visit Papua in his role with UnitingWorld and has been an advocate for the Papuan people

In February 2010 a group from Blackwood Uniting Church travelled to Papua and spent time in Biak and Numfor, the two key regions in our partnership with the GKI. They also witnessed the building of the Medical Clinic on Numfor as a result of the fundraising efforts of Henley & Fulham Uniting Chuches.

August 2011, Rev Adam Tretheway travelled to Papua, visiting key ministry sites of the GKI and also spent time at the Medical Clinic on Numfor after the grand opening a few months prior

During 2011 and 2012, the Synod's of South Australia and Western Australia united and passed a joint proposal during their Synod gathering focussing on the situation in Papua. This proposal was then submitted and passed at the National Assembly gathering held in Adelaide during 2012.

The Presbytery and Synod of SA supports projects of the GKI Presbyteries on Biak - Numfor, the part of the GKI to which we relate the most. These have been primarily focused on improving health particularly in regard to malaria. Current projects are for assisting the GKI-run clinics with urgently needed medical and pharmaceutical supplies for the Bethesda Pharmacy on Numfor, overseen by Rev Herman and Mrs Jacoba Awom, and for similar work on Supiori Island and the South Biak Presbytery Clinic.