9/5/2025 Papua New Guinea (International Christian Concern) — Every August since 2007, Papua New Guinea has observed a national holiday called the National Repentance Day.

The purpose of the day is to encourage citizens to remember Papua New Guinea’s Christian heritage and focus on the repentance of sins for the more than 14 million people living on hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Christian leaders from numerous denominations urge, especially within the government, honesty, stronger ethics, morals, and values, and more courage to confront corruption and violence in their nation.

In March, Papua New Guinea passed a constitutional amendment declaring itself a Christian nation. As it seeks to live up to the way of Christ, it also has high rates of corruption, bribery, crime, and gender-based violence. Additionally, there are frequent cases of tribal and village-based violence, which affects locals, Christians, and missionaries, particularly in rural and highland areas.

In West Papua, now an Indonesian territory, there is an intensifying Islamification of traditionally Christian areas and ongoing persecution of believers.

Amid its current challenges, National Repentance Day provides Papua New Guinea with a unique opportunity for renewed spiritual focus. The hope is that the nation will move closer to Christ and, over time, better represent God’s kingdom.

“Repentance is a way of life, acknowledging God as the source of our life, our country, and our very existence,” Dr. Jack Urame, head of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Papua New Guinea, said during the recent National Repentance Day. “Yet, the way we live as a nation does not reflect that we have truly repented or changed our way of life.”

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