THE vision for the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) to establish John Coleridge Patteson University is turning into reality following the approval of the General Synod last week to establish the university at Kosu, Guadalcanal Province.
Speaking at the service to formally launched John Coleridge Patteson University (JCPU) fundraising drive on Sunday at St Barnabas Provincial Cathedral, Archbishop of the Church of Melanesia Leonard Dawea said the General Synod which was held at Selwyn College last week also approved a draft bill containing the canon to formally establish the university and a charter as its governance instrument.
“The passage of the bill effectively means that the Anglican Church of Melanesia can now proceed with formally establishing the JCPU as a learning institution.
“However, the formal inauguration of the university will be determined by the Management Board when the time is appropriate,” Archbishop Dawea said.
The idea to establish JCPU was brought before the General Synod in 2002 which passed a standing resolution for the establishment of the university. Despite this, further steps to fulfil this ambition still need further approval from the synod.
General Synod in the Anglican Church is the highest governing body in the church which compose of the church’s bishops, clergy and lay delegates. The Management Board is the executive committee of the General Synod.
Archbishop Dawea said over the past 20 years although numerous initiatives and efforts were made by succeeding taskforces to progress this project none of these genuine efforts was enough to convince past General Synods that the church was indeed ready to proceed with the establishment of the university.
He said in 2020 another taskforce established by the 2017 General Synod came up with a concept document for the establishment and development of the JCPU and this concept document was finally endorsed by the church’s Management Board in August 2020.
He said the taskforce then was also reconstituted into the Project Planning Committee (PPC) under the able chairmanship of Sir Nathaniel Waena.
The PPC then set up two sub-committees namely the Technical and Development Sub-committee and the Academic Sub-committee which are tasked with translating various aspects of the concept document into feasibility studies.
Archbishop Dawea said from the feasibility studies, the project will involve significant capital outlay and funds which ACOM relied on from the Melanesian Mission Trust Board in New Zealand would not be enough for this project.
“For instance, the costs of constructing the main through road within the Kosu site will cost some SBD4million while architectural estimates for the first building on the site will cost some SBD6million.
“So we need at least SBD10million to undertake these two priority projects at the site.
“Preliminary estimates of relocating the Bishop Patteson Theological College from Kohimarama to the Kosu site will cost some SBD24million,” Archbishop Dawea said.
He said due to the enormity of the costs involved in this project, the PPC saw it necessary to establish the JCPU Fundraising Sub-committee to develop plans and galvanise support from all ACOM members to raise the needed funds to build the various components of the project.
The JCPU Fundraising Sub-committee members were commissioned during the service at Saint Barnabas Cathedral on Sunday and the document on JCPU Fundraising activities was also formally launched during the service.
Archbishop Dawea told members of fundraising sub-committee that the task will be challenging “but we are working to fulfil God’s purpose for the people of Solomon Islands and ACOM including Vanuatu and New Caledonia”.
He said although the JCPU has been a long time plan, it is good to fulfil it now.
“It is good to fulfil it in our time for those who foresaw the vision, some of whom have passed on.
“Let us all believe that this is the right time; ACOM have decided to revisit the three principles of true religion, sound learning and useful industry beginning with the General Synod last week.
“ACOM this year celebrated the 150 years of the martyrdom of Bishop Patterson and after so many years, it is high time that ACOM step up another level in her education and training.
“As ACOM, let us keep on walking, talking, listening and witnessing together because the Lord is with us,” the archbishop told the congregation, Sunday.
The service was attended by members of the council of bishops, invited guests, JCPU Project Planning Committee and sub-committees and Anglicans from the different dioceses.
PRESS RELEASE
