The Head Brother of the Melanesian Brotherhood Br. Matthias Tovotasi and the Secretary to the Melanesian Brotherhood Mr. Alphonse Garimae visited Dobuduru Regional Head Quarters for Papua New Guinea Region on the 11th October 2014.
The visit follows request from the Regional Head Brother Br. Johnson Ingamavu to attend the Regional Conference of the Brothers and companions in the region that runs from the 11th to the 31st October 2014.
The Head Brother, Br. Tovotasi and Mr. Garimae also facilitated a workshop attended by thirty Brothers and five Novices on the 14th of October 2014, prior to the Regional conference.
During the workshop the Head Brother reiterates that Brothers must be one in their living following the aim and purpose of the Brotherhood set by the founder Br. Ini Kopuria and that is to: To glorify God, To live as a community of Brothers, To take the Gospel to the heathen, and to help one another to serve God and his Church.
“We must uphold and keep our three vows of Obedience, Poverty and Celibacy. Keeping the vows indicates the uniqueness of the Brotherhood in their ministry.” The MBH Head Brother, Br. Matthias Tovotasi said.
“We come from different backgrounds, therefore, In order to glorify God all brothers must have self-discipline to their constitution, personal rule of life, rules and principles of the community so that it can shape us and mold us as one community in the same faith and life.” He added.
“True freedom is by obeying the rules of the order. You cannot be free if you do not abide by the rules and by studying and living the word of God. In order to win a soul for Christ, one must loose in order to win a soul” It means one has to be born again or in other words each Brother or Novice has to let go its old way of life and live Christ life in his personal life. Living by the rules and studying the word of God will help us every day grow closer to life eternity.” Br. Tovotasi said.
He encourages the Brothers to uphold the discipline of the Brotherhood, its rules and principles. Also all Brothers in the Brotherhood to be in tune with each other in there different Regions, Sections and Households in which they live and work. As a community the Brothers have to be one in all they do to glorify God as a community.
The Brotherhood is a Religious Order (Community) formed to Glorify God in all they do (Prayer, work and studying the word of God); The Head Brother, Br. Tovotasi concluded.
There are 60 Brothers in Papua New Guinea Region. They have five Sections and they are Port Moresby Section, Aiome Section, Aipo Rongo Section, Niugini Islands Section, Dogura Section and Popondetta Section. In those sections the brothers established 18 households in which they stationed and launch out to evangelize the word of God to people. Some households are in very remote areas where access to medical and other social services was not available.