WAMENA – The 23rd Congregational Meeting of the Evangelical Christian Church (GKI) Lachai Roi Hom-Hom Wamena for the 2023 service year was officially closed on Friday, January 27, 2023, by the Vice Chairman of GKI Baliem Yalimo Classis, Rabindra Patasik, at the GKI Lachai Roi Hom-Hom Church building.

In his speech, Rabindra stated that the outcomes of this meeting are part of the work plan of GKI Baliem Yalimo moving forward. One of the main focuses is to empower the congregation economically and strengthen the church’s service.

"The goal is for the congregation to become independent, not only in spiritual service but also economically within the framework of GKI in Papua," he said.

Rabindra also encouraged all congregations in the 28 churches within the GKI Baliem Yalimo Classis area to align their work programs with the GKI Synod in Papua, particularly regarding activity planning and church financial management.

"Church programs and financial management need to be standardized so that our service can be more focused and bring renewal in the coming years," he explained.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the GKI Lachai Roi Hom-Hom Congregational Council, Rev. Gunsar Purba, S.Si., expressed his gratitude for the achievements of the 2022 service year, which exceeded expectations. This shows a positive response and active participation from the congregation.

“For 2023, the church budget (APBG) has reached over Rp 2.9 billion. The main programs that have been agreed upon include economic empowerment of the congregation, organizing church assets, and motivating the congregation to remain enthusiastic in worship,” he said.

Additionally, Chairman of the Congregational Meeting Committee, Daniel Padua, explained that the main purpose of this meeting was to evaluate last year’s programs and develop the service plan for 2023.

“The 23rd Congregational Meeting began with a pre-meeting on Wednesday, January 25, and was attended by 75 participants, who signed the attendance sheet,” he concluded.