The Oruuano Protestant Unity Church of Namibia celebrated its 70th anniversary and journey to spreading the gospel.

Oruuano was established in 1955, emanating from the Rhenish Mission Church under the leadership of Chief Hosea Kutako and his Chiefs' Council.

Bishop Wyle Upi said the church not only spreads the gospel, but it also supports social interventions such as assisting natural disaster victims, schools, and community outreach.

"We believe that when God transforms lives, families are restored, communities are healed, and nations are renewed. It's the essence of our calling to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We must not only be the name of the church; we must be the church that calls nations back to God. That is what we are celebrating, and we are very thankful that for all these years we have done our best to save the communities and also to bring the people of God back to Him."

In a speech read on her behalf by Dr. Kaire Mbuende, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah noted the contribution of Oruuano Church during the liberation struggle. 

"It started with, in fact, I will not go further backwards, but with a political awakening that was occasioned by the South African government attempting to incorporate Namibia, or South West Africa, into South Africa in 1946. Chief Hosea Kutako then sent a petition to the United Nations in 1947 through Reverend Michael Scott, and from then on, there have been a series of political activities against the occupation of our country. But to add insult to injury, in 1951, the former head of the Lutheran Church, Reverend Heinrich Frederick, was appointed as a senator in the apartheid parliament to ostensibly represent the interests of the natives. And it was this event that angered the community and the Black people in general." 

Oruuano also invests in youth seminars and men's and women's conferences. Former National Assembly Speaker Professor Peter Katjavivi explained that "Oruuano Church is a church that was born out of the struggle. I'm sure that you heard that from several speakers who spoke before me. It's a church whose members, as they came together, participated actively in the struggle, and they stood in defiance of the colonial regime of the time. Today, Oruuano Church celebrates and cherishes an independent Namibia alongside other institutions of faith. As a child, growing up in Okanjira, in Ovitoto, I witnessed the founding of this church."

The church also has a strategic plan that runs from 2024 to 2028, focusing on ecclesiastical activities, financial stability, outreach activities and social responsibilities.