The Church forms a very central part of Lihirian society. The Catholic Church and the United Church are the two main denominations in Lihir.
Both denominations were established in Lihir in the 1920s. For a long time the Church was the major external institution in Lihir. More recently other denominations have come to Lihir. The Catholic Church is a key provider of health and education services on Lihir.
It established its base at Palie in the 1930s and is responsible for the Palie Health Centre, the Palie Vocational School, and the Palie Primary School. Lihir is part of the Kavieng Diocese of the Catholic Church. In most representative groups Lihirians will seek to have a Church Representative.