David Hand Memorial Fund
For the mission and ministry of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
A Visionary: Bishop David Hand, who died in 2006, was a pivotal figure in the life of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, becoming the first Archbishop of the newly independent Church in 1977, and remaining a strong and charismatic leader of the church until the time of his death. Building the Church and expanding the mission of God to all the people of that country were life-long aims of Bishop David.
Bishop David’s vision was for a church which, in his own words, is “independent in fact as well as in name.” Bishop David worked closely with the people of Papua New Guinea to build a church which would be increasingly self-reliant and which would be able to share in the world-wide mission of God.
Called By The Martyrs: David Hand was born in Queensland in 1918, and grew up in England. In 1945 he read about the Martyrs of New Guinea and was moved by their story to offer himself for service to New Guinea. He arrived in Papua New Guinea in 1946 and stayed until his death in 2006. David was made a bishop co-adjutor in 1950, the youngest bishop of the church at the time, and became Bishop of New Guinea in 1963. In 1977 he became the first Archbishop of the independent province of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. During his long ministry, his vision for the church was to move from being a mission of the church to being an established and independent church within the world-wide Anglican Communion.
The Fund: The David Hand Memorial Fund has been established by the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM), in consultation with the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, to create a permanent and sustainable source of income for the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (ACPNG). Managed by an independent board of directors, donations to the Fund will be invested through Australian financial entities, and the income from the Fund’s capital will be used by the ACPNG to support the ministry of the Church. This includes a particular focus on theological education and training, and support for clergy and catechists, which was of great importance to Bishop David.
Bishop Michael Hough, Bishop of Ballarat and former Bishop of Port Moresby, will launch the Fund with a walk of the Kokoda Track in September 2007. This walk will recall the historic walk taken in 1972 by Bishop David Hand, Archbishop Marcus Loane of the Diocese of Sydney, and other church leaders, which launched a similar fundraising exercise for the Church in PNG. This exciting event will include participants from the ACPNG and the Anglican Church of Australia, and will seek to raise money for the David Hand Memorial Fund.
Donations may be made to the Fund by cheque to the address below, made payable to the David Hand Memorial Fund, and sent to the Anglican Board of Mission, OR on line through ABM’s secure website, www.abmission.org. As ABM currently supports a number of programs for which the Anglican Church in PNG has sought assistance, ABM seeks to ensure that donations to the Fund, which is preparing for the Church’s future, do not endanger the work of the Church in the present. For that reason, ABM asks donors to continue their project support for ABM programs in PNG, and to consider donations to the Fund as additional provision which will ensure a strong future for the Church in PNG. Bequest income is a particularly appropriate way to provide a donation to the Fund, as are special one-off gifts and/or fundraising activities.
David Hand Memorial Fund
The Anglican Board of Mission – Australia Ltd
Locked Bag Q4005
Queen Victoria Building, NSW 1230
Tel: 1300302 663 or in Sydney 9264 1021
Fax: (02) 9261 3560
Email: info@abm.asn.au Website:www.abmission.org
