Rev. Dr. Gil McArthur, Founding Principal of CLTC wrote in 1964:
Missionary leaders are faced with the immediate task to ensure the rapid emergence of an English educated Christian leadership...
1. To provide a well equipped, spiritually mature, Church leadership for the changing age.
2. To ensure that the moral and spiritual dynamic of the Christian ethic makes its fullest contribution to the emerging national life...
As a result, land was purchased in 1964 at Giramben in the Wahgi Valley near Banz, a small village near Hagen City for the construction and development of the first CLTC campus. The land was used both for the development of the initial campus buildings (including classrooms, living quarters, a library and hall) and for the production of a variety of micro businesses; which included grazing for cattle and growing a variety of produce.
During the 1970s and 80s, the towns and cities of PNG grew rapidly. This brought a new challenge to the Church - the challenge of reaching our towns and cities with the Gospel and of establishing strong churches which are able to minister effectively in the changing urban situation. CLTC saw the need for developing effective leadership for these tasks and so in 1984 the College established a Lae Centre and in 1986 a Port Moresby Centre. The work of the Centres has developed under the guidance of committees of local church leaders.