Latest News from Newton College

Acting Principal of Newton Theological College, Bishop Jeffrey Driver, has sent us the latest news from the College. He writes that, when you add together the staff and the 12 on-campus students and their families, the college community comprises around 90 people including “a pre-school of 39 children. Students provide most of their own food through gardens that they cultivate on the college grounds.” A bridging course later in the year will see the college population increase even more.

The well-known spouses’ program continues, since “Newton College recognises that, particularly in countries like PNG, ministry must be a shared venture and that wives inevitably contribute to the ministry of their husband and indeed have their own ministry as well. The college runs a program for spouses that covers, literacy, basic introduction to the Bible and Theology, sewing, cooking and healthcare. This year, for the first time, some lectures will be shared with wives attending with their husbands”, writes Bishop Driver.

Bishop Driver notes the ongoing challenges of achieving “registration and accreditation in line with new legislation passed by the PNG Government. The requirements have been based on the Australian system, so meeting them will require a significant lift. They involve everything from the physical buildings, IT accessibility, library, though to academic administration and curriculum. Unfortunately the Covid 19 Pandemic meant that almost two years was lost in this process, and also during my Covid imposed absence, some of the systems necessary to the process were not able to be sustained. This will need to be a major focus over the course of this year given that without accreditation the college will eventually be required to stop offering higher education qualifications.”

Repair and renovations of buildings continues this year with the focus on renovating the clinic and nurse’s house, as well as some student houses.

Your donations to ABM’s Newton Theological College Project are greatly appreciated. They are also vitally important, since they contribute to ongoing operating costs of the college, without which there would be no college.

We ask you to continue to keep Newton College in your prayers. The image at the top of the article shows photos of all the 2022 students which may be used as an aid to prayer.

Please join with us in praying for:

• each student and their vocations,
• the College staff,
• the families of students and staff
• the whole process of registering and accrediting the college as a higher education institution with the Papua New Guinean government
• renovation of clinic and nurse’s house
• the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea as it seeks to serve God’s mission in many parts of the country, from bustling cities like Port Moresby and Lae, to villages in the remote highlands, lowlands and coastal areas.