The Melanesian Institute
Papua New Guinea is proudly known as a Christian country yet the early missionaries who were
among the first group of people who set foot on the island of New Guinea

without any knowledge of
the land almost two hundred years ago must be credited.
There was no internet to assist them in finding information about the place they were headed or no
phone to make a quick call to check out relative or friends who lived there and knew a thing or two
about their destination.
They had no idea about the culture of land let alone no knowledge or education that the land
territory they were about to enter had a diverse cultural system.
They were perhaps the bravest to do so to shepherd their beliefs and bring with them the Gospel to
a territory who already had established beliefsas they did not know much about Papua New Guinea
at the time.
Despite it being centuries ago that the first missionaries arrived in Papua New Guinea, it was only
half a century ago that such an initiative to help the new missionaries to be able to get to know and
better understand the indigenous people and their cultures.
It was in the 60’s that the visionaries of the Melanesian Institute and the main line churches believed
that preaching of the Good News could be effectively transmitted through better preparation and
possible acculturation of the missionaries.
There was an urgent need to develop and practice new ways of evangelization which would respect
the cultural values of Melanesian societies.
The new missionary generation was looking for an orientation in that particular transition period in
their search for new approaches to evangelize and minister to the people in Melanesian societies.
In support of this, the local missionaries especially saw a great need for an adequate orientation for
newcomers in the mission.
The official opening ofthe MelanesianInstitute celebrated on January 11 came months after the first
Cultural Orientation Course was held for new missionaries.From November17, 1969 until the end of
January 1970 the newly founded institute held its first orientation course in Vunapope, Rabaul for 45
new missionaries coming from different nationalities and different religious congregations.
The aim of the course was to help the new missionaries to be able to get to know and better
understand the indigenous people and their cultures and support the missionaries in
finding solutions to the many unresolved challenges they would encounter in their work.
50 years from now and still going strong the Cultural Orientation Courses has washed away the two
issues that were of concern to most of the participants and lecturers in Vunapope which were how
to help the missionaries to avoid the danger of interpreting the problems they encountered in
Melanesia only from the view point of their respective experience in Europe, America and
Australiaand secondly, what role they had to play as missionaries in Melanesia.

The Cultural Orientation Courses are still offered every year twice a year in the beginning and the
end of the year seeing many different nationalities and denominations and will no doubt still be
around for it was the first fruit the Melanesian Institute borne.

Amanda Kundil