Plea to God

Joseph Kingal Ministry prays for rise-from-the-dead miracle

By RIGGO NANGAN

Directors of the Joseph Kingal Ministry talking to reporters for the first time in Lae about the death of their leader and evangelist Pastor Joseph Kingal who died in a tragic road accident on Monday. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

DIRECTORS of the Joseph Kingal Minstry have “petitioned” God to resurrect their evangelist founder Pastor Joseph Kingal, who died tragically in a highway accident near Lae on Monday, The National reports.

While accepting the medical announcement that Kingal was dead on arrival at the Angau Memorial Hospital on Monday evening, the directors told reporters in Lae yesterday that like-minded Christians nationwide had been praying with them for a miracle since then, “petitioning God in prayer for the return of his spirit”.

The bizarre twist of events started hours after Kingal’s body was taken to his Omili suburb home where directors of the Joseph Kingal Ministry (JKM) kept an all-night vigil on the body, some even suggesting that he was not dead.

Church leaders and Christians in their droves had been flocking to Lae since word got around that a second resurrection – that of Kingal – was in the making.

Yesterday, the directors issued an official statement on the events of the previous 48 hours.

“We confirm that Pastor Joseph Kingal was pronounced dead upon arrival at Angau the same day, however, the JKM board, the leaders fraternal and Christians around the country are petitioning God in prayer for the return of his spirit,” the statement said.

The JKM board, leaders fraternal and Christian followers said what they were doing was biblical –  in asking God for two things, which were “for God to return Kingal’s spirit to his body and, if it is the contrary, then God would reveal so”.

The leaders said in the statement that the obvious reasons for resurrection were that Kingal had started a great ministry work which would now be left uncompleted.  

“God is sovereign and we are not questioning his sovereignty but, as human beings, we are pleading God’s own word that he has done it and he can do it,” they said, adding that if God had decided to take the pastor’s life, then they were waiting anxiously for an answer from God.”

The leaders said in the statement that Christians nationwide and abroad were also in the same spirit of prayer and, upon receiving a response, another statement would be released to specify the next cause of action.

The JKM board and leaders fraternal also said they were planning on evacuating the Kingal family, who were injured but in stable condition at the Angau hospital, abroad for a speedy treatment and recovery.

Wife Susan Kingal is on life support at a ward at Angau hospital as well as one of their four children, who is also being watched closely by doctors in a ward at the hospital.

“We are considering relocating them to a hospital overseas to accord them appropriate treatment,” they said. 

They have extended a call to all Christians and followers around the country, who wish to help in this cause, to send their contributions to One Church Ministry account number 0012749795 at the ANZ bank Lae branch.

All the while, family members of the Kingals and their Rolkaga tribes of Dei in Western Highlands were holding back the pain and sorrow.

Family member Sam Koim, who spoke for the families and tribe, said they were leaving the situation with the JKM board, the fraternal leaders and Christians to pray for God to have his way.

“It was a tragedy for us but we are holding back our tears and waiting for whatever answer God gives through the prayers,” Koim said, adding that whatever the ministry board comes up with, they will take on from there.

JKM board member Paul Barry said the death of the evangelist was a shock to the revival ministries around the country.

“We are still trying to come to terms with what has happened,” he said.

Pr John Garu from the COC church in Lae said the death of the evangelist was a shock to the ministries.

Pr Veneo Kario, who the late evangelist conducted an evangelistic meeting with in Madang and was returning to Lae where he met his fate, was lost for words and did not say much. He could only agreed with what other ministry board members and the Christian fraternal had to say. 

Pr Newman Watapi, a JKM board executive who chaired the press conference yesterday, said the news so far in the media about the tragedy was not sanctioned by them.

He said they were deep in prayer because they believed God could perform miracles.