CAIRNS – Thursday, May 1, 2025: The people of Papua New Guinea are mourning the death of Donald Fredrick Ruthenberg—affectionately known as Papa Don—whose decades of service to the Evangelical Lutheran Church helped shape the spiritual and socio-economic landscape of the nation during its formative years.
His funeral service was held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cairns, where family, friends, and church members gathered to honour a life of unwavering faith, humble leadership, and deep love for PNG.
A group of about 15 Papua New Guinean mourners sang “God bai i stap wantim yu oltaim” (God be with you till we meet again) in Tok Pisin as the casket was carried out of the church—an emotional and fitting farewell from the country he loved and served.
A Lifelong Mission to Serve PNG
Mr Ruthenberg first arrived in Papua New Guinea in February 1957 with his wife Violet, having accepted a call to rehabilitate and manage three war-damaged Lutheran plantations at Finschhafen. It was the beginning of 37 years of dedicated service to the country, its people, and the church.
A man of many talents—sawmiller, mechanic, farmer, administrator—Mr Ruthenberg’s practical skills and spiritual commitment soon earned him respect across the mission field. Fluent in Tok Pisin and trusted by people from all walks of life, he became a peacemaker, mentor, and advisor.
By 1962, he was appointed supervisor of all seven Lutheran mission plantations. In 1970, the family moved to Lae, where he became manager of Lutheran Economic Services (LES), which ran rural development projects across the country. In 1975, he was appointed Finance Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, and later took charge of Kambang Holdings Ltd—the church’s commercial arm overseeing shipping, plantations, retail, and trading operations under the brand Namasu.
Mr Ruthenberg was also a board member of Word Publishing Company in Port Moresby and a trustee of the Divine Word Institute in Madang. His work saw him travel globally, representing PNG’s churches at international forums. He developed strong relationships with national leaders, including Sir Iambakey Okuk, who once suggested that he be knighted for his services to PNG—an honour he declined in his usual quiet manner, saying he did not serve for recognition.
His leadership helped stabilise the Lutheran Church’s transition from mission to fully indigenous institution during PNG’s critical years of independence and development.
The Life Beyond PNG
After retiring from full-time mission work in 1994, Mr Ruthenberg and his wife Violet settled in Cairns, Far North Queensland. But his mission heart never stopped beating.
Together with long-time friend Greg Warton, he ministered to communities in Wujal Wujal and Mission Beach, conducting Bible studies and home worship services every fortnight. When Greg passed away, he found new drivers to continue making the trips. He also held services in Tok Pisin for Papua New Guinean families living in Cairns.
Mr Ruthenberg and Violet raised five children—Chris, Sandra, Neil, Trevor, and Andrew—while serving in PNG. He was a faithful correspondent, sending weekly letters to his children while they studied in Toowoomba, and continuing to write detailed Christmas updates to family and friends for decades.
In 2003, he received the Servant of Christ award from the Lutheran Church for 45 years of mission service. Even in later years, after Violet’s passing in 2016 and his move to Bupa Nursing Home in 2023, he remained devoted to Scripture and prayer, continuing to intercede for the church he served so faithfully.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a nation of Papua New Guineans who will remember him not just as a missionary, but as a friend, mentor, and brother.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”