CWM

United Church in Solomon Islands

Thursday, 19 July 2007 18:20

Main languages:

• English, Solomons Pijin, Melanesian languages

Main religions:

• Christianity (97%), other (2%), unspecified or no religion (1%)

Government:

• Constitutional monarchy under a governor-general, a prime minister and an elected national parliament. The British monarch is head of the state.

National and community concerns:

• Cyclone damage.
• Land disputes.
• Drift netting.
• Environmental damage because of logging.

Church priorities and programmes:

• Urban ministry among young people.
• Support of hospitals and schools.
• The Manpower Planning programme arranges higher education scholarships overseas.
• Skills training project for school drop-outs and the unemployed.
• Improvement of literacy and numeracy.
• Developing and training people for mission.
• To overcome distance, linguistic and ethnic diversity in mission, particularly with the IKiribati.

Members/Congregations:

• 50,000/191

Women's representation in church:

• Women participate at all levels of decision-making.
• United Church Women's Fellowship is very active locally levels.

Youth activities:

• Youth rallies and conventions attract national and international participation.
• Churches support Boys' and Girls' Brigades and youth camps.

Missionaries sent and received through CWM:

• James Kimata, teaching, to the Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu.
• Dr Parfaite and Samuel Ramboanjanahary, dentistry and teaching, from the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar.
• Dr Zochhuani Ralte and Dr Ramdinthara Sailo, medical work, from the Presbyterian Church of India.
• Koshy David, teaching, from the Church of South India.

For more information:

• Mr Atterly Tabepuda, General Secretary

Prayers:

• For the church's work to resolve the tension between ethnic groups.
• For an end to the economic crisis in the country.