AP

The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (Bislama: Presbitirin Jyos Blong Vanuatu) is the largest Christian denomination in Vanuatu and the longest-standing Partner Church of the PCA. Numerous APWM missionaries have served that Church over the years, including former Moderator General Peter Barnes and his wife Lyn, and Christ College’s current principal Rev Dr Ian Smith and his wife Jenni. Rev Robert McKean (Registrar), Rev Rob Falls (Academic Dean & Deputy Principal), and Mrs Elena Falls (Registered Nurse &Midwife & Women’s Program Lecturer) are currently ministering at the Talua Theological Training Institute (TTTI).

Pastor Philip Baniuri, TTTI Principal, brought the following greeting to our General Assembly of Australia in September.

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Moderator, Clerk, and members of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, brothers and sisters in Christ – it is a great honour and privilege for me to stand before you today and to bring greetings and sincere thanks on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, and especially on behalf of Talua Theological Training Institute.

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the invitation to be with you at this Assembly. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share a few words with you and to represent the church in Vanuatu. This is not my first time attending the PCA Assembly. I had the privilege of attending the Assembly in 2019, and it is a great joy to be here again for a second time. It is encouraging to see the fellowship of God’s people and to be reminded that, although we are separated by distance and geography, we are united in Christ and in our shared mission.

I would also like to take this opportunity to give thanks for the long and valuable relationship between the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu. Over many years, the PCA has contributed greatly to the life and ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu. Your support has come in many forms—financial assistance, materials, practical resources, and many other forms of partnership. For all of these things, we are deeply grateful.

But I believe that one of the greatest contributions you have made to the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu goes beyond financial and material support. It has been your willingness to send missionaries, teachers, mission teams, and volunteers to serve alongside us. Through these people, you have helped us to build something even more valuable: human resources for the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu and also for Vanuatu as a nation.

This has been especially significant at Talua Theological Training Institute. Without the faithful partnership and support of the PCA over many years, Talua would not have developed into what it is today. Through God’s grace and the partnership of many people and churches, Talua has grown and is now recognised in Vanuatu as a national training provider for theological education. And I want to say very clearly today: you have been part of that story. Your missionaries have taught our students. Your teachers have invested in our future leaders. Your mission teams and volunteers have served alongside us. Your financial and material support has strengthened the institution. And above all, your prayers have carried us.

So, on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu and Talua, I want to say to you: thank you. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for investing in the future of the church in Vanuatu. And thank you for praying for us.

For me personally, this moment is particularly meaningful. I stand before you today as one of the fruits of the investment that you have made in theological education and ministry. I had the privilege of studying for one year at what was then the NSW Presbyterian Theological Centre, which is now called Christ College, and that experience has continued to shape my ministry in Vanuatu.

The investment that you and others have made in Talua has not simply produced buildings, classrooms, or programmes. It has produced people—pastors, church leaders, teachers, and servants of Christ who are now serving the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu and the wider community. That is why I believe that the partnership between our Churches is so important. It is a partnership that has produced fruit, and we pray that the Lord will continue to bless that fruit for generations to come. I believe that God has blessed the relationship that has been built between our two churches, and I pray that He will continue to strengthen it in the years ahead.

As I conclude, may I take this opportunity to congratulate our outgoing moderator for his leadership and service, and to extend my warm congratulations and prayers to our incoming moderator as he begins this important responsibility. Please be assured that the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu is praying for you, praying for the PCA, and praying that the Lord will continue to guide and strengthen His church in Australia. May the partnership between our churches continue to grow—not simply because of what we can do for one another, but because together we are seeking to honour Christ, strengthen His church, and proclaim the Gospel.

Once again, thank you for your invitation, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your partnership, and above all, thank you for your prayers. May God bless the Presbyterian Church of Australia, may He bless the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, and may He continue to use our partnership for the advancement of His Kingdom. Thank you, and God bless you all.

– Pastor Philip Baniuri, TTTI Principal