A Life of Faith, Coffee, and Service: Remembering Jimmy Wan (1935–2025)

By Malum Nalu

Jimmy Wan, a pioneering coffee grower, philanthropist, and faithful servant of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG), passed away peacefully on June 24, 2025, at the age of 89. A Celebration of Life will be held on July 10 in Brisbane, Australia — a fitting tribute to a man whose life was as rich and enduring as the coffee he once grew.

Born on November 24, 1935, Jimmy’s story began in Lae, Morobe Province — a town his family helped shape long before Independence. The Wan Jin Wah family arrived in Papua New Guinea in 1914, working first for the German colonial administration. They went on to establish one of Lae’s earliest Chinese-run trade stores on 7th Street – Wan Jin Wah – which remains part of the city’s commercial history to this day.

During World War II, the Wan family endured hardship, seeking refuge in the jungles of the Wain area. Jimmy was a child then, but the experience left a lasting imprint — one that shaped his humility, resilience, and Christian faith. After the war, he attended Sunday School at St Andrew’s Lutheran Church at Ampo — a place that would later become a cornerstone of his life’s mission.

A Coffee Pioneer

In 1956, at just 20 years of age, Jimmy became the first Chinese-Papua New Guinean to plant coffee in the Highlands. What began as a bold venture blossomed into Korona Coffee in Eastern Highlands, a plantation that would go on to gain international acclaim. His beans reached some of the most discerning markets in the world — a testament to his dedication and the quality of Papua New Guinea’s soil and spirit.

Despite being shy and barely literate, Jimmy defied the odds. As captured in the book A Caffeinated Faith, he overcame a stutter, battled depression, dabbled in alluvial gold mining, and eventually rose to become a household name in PNG’s coffee industry. Yet, he remained grounded, often saying his success came from God alone.

A Humble Builder of Churches

After retiring and selling his plantation, Jimmy turned his energy and resources toward another passion: rebuilding the Lutheran churches of his youth. What began in 1998 with a testimony at St Andrew’s turned into a decades-long journey of faith and restoration.

Together with church leaders like the late Bishop Wesley Kigasung, Mr Jacob Sawanga, and builder Rod Lyght, Jimmy began assessing and renovating churches across Morobe, the Highlands, Manus, and beyond. His work wasn’t just about bricks and mortar — it was about spiritual revival.

Over the years, Jimmy personally funded and helped restore or rebuild more than 10 churches, including:

• St Andrew’s (Ampo)
•    St Paul’s (Lae)
•  Resurrection (7th Street, Lae)
•   Busamang Church (Malalo Seket)
• Bukawa Church (Cape Arkona, Deka Seket)
•  Aluki Church (Laulau Sekat, Singawa)
•  Kainantu
• Aiyura and Yonki
•  Yalu
• Aromot
• Calvary (Lae)
• Manus

His last visit to PNG in 2018 was for the rededication of the historic Bukawa Church — a structure that had survived World War II and had even been used by Japanese troops. Materials for this remote church were delivered via banana boats — a logistical challenge Jimmy was proud to have overcome.

A Quiet Man of Great Legacy

Jimmy never sought media attention for his generosity. He preferred the quiet company of close friends and family, sharing stories, laughter, and meals.

Though he lived in Brisbane in later years, Jimmy and his wife Rowena returned regularly to Lae, staying with family and continuing their mission to serve and uplift. His eldest son, Terry Wan, remains in close contact with the church and community Jimmy loved so deeply.

Jimmy Wan’s life reminds us that success is not measured by wealth or recognition, but by service, humility, and legacy. He leaves behind not only a family deeply proud of him, but a nation — especially the people of Morobe — who will remember him as a pioneer, a giver, and a man of God.

Final Words

In that spirit, may we all live a life as honourable and faithful as Jimmy Wan.

📍 Funeral Programme:

Service: 10 July 2025 | 9:30 AM

St Marks Lutheran Church, Mount Gravatt East, QLD

Interment: Mount Gravatt Cemetery & Crematorium

Wake Lunch: Parkland Restaurant, Sunnybank

🕊️ Rest in Peace, Jimmy Wan (1935–2025)

A builder of faith. A planter of seeds. A quiet man with a mighty legacy.