Rev Coriunus Berotabui, Moderator of the Evangelical Christian Church in the Land of Papua, died at 2am (5am East Coast time) in a Jakarta hospital on the morning of June 2nd. His death was due to complications associated with lung cancer.
The Evangelical Christian Church in PNG is a partner church with the Uniting Church in Australia, and Rev Berotabui was a good friend. We are very saddened by this news - Rev Bertoiabui's death is a terrible blow to the people of West Papua.
For John Barr, executive secretary of Uniting International Mission (UIM), Rev Berotabui was a person who he admired greatly.
“He was a humble man with great load on his shoulders as he led a church that advocates for the needs of many people experiencing human rights abuses and a lack of real freedom.
I last spoke with Rev Berotabui in Jakarta in April when I visited him in hospital. I prayed with Rev Berotabui and his family at that time. Your prayers for the Berotabui family together with the whole community in West Papua are greatly needed.”
Please pray for the Berotabui family in their rime of grief and please pray for the people of West Papua who have lost another leader.
