The Heads of Missions of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church are meeting this week at the National Agricultural Research Institute’s (NARI) Quartermain Hall in Lae city for the Church Strategic Planning. The meeting is to discuss the strategic partnership of the church with the government to deliver the Medium-Term Development Program (MTDP) IV economic and social targets. The Director-General for NARI, Dr. Nelson Simbiken, in his welcome remarks, challenged the Heads of Missions of the SDA Church to partner with the agriculture sector and reposition themselves to engage more in the social development than being just spiritual. “Where can the church position itself to partner the government? Church can provide solutions to improve livelihoods, security, employment, health, and education and to empower economic and social development. The government and the churches must partner to address the youth bulge, unemployment problem, and to create conducive enabling environment by addressing law-and-order to attract investments in the rural economy,” said Dr. Simbiken. The Guest of Honor at the gathering, Mr. Koney Samuel, the Secretary for National Planning and Monitoring, encouraged the Heads of Missions of the SDA Church to partner with the government to accelerate the delivery of MTDP IV targets and economic outcomes. The strategic planning meeting which began on Monday April 7th, ends today.