Deaconess Meresiana - Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma

Deaconess Meresiana Kuricava

The Conference of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma in August 2013 endorsed Deaconess Meresiana Kuricava as the Administrator of the Deaconess Order of the Methodist Church in Fiji, a role she has held previously. Congratulations, Meresiana! Please continue to pray for the deaconess ministry in Fiji, especially in the challenging physical, social, economic and political context in which ministry is offered.

Church's role in the fight against gender based violence

Tuesday 5th March
HONIARA, Solomon Islands
Churches must take active roles in the fight against gender-based violence, a regional workshop has been told. 
Women delegates at the Pacific Conference of Churches 10th General Assembly in Honiara, the Solomon Islands, resolved that all theological colleges in the region must teach students about violence against women and children.
Deaconess Sala Naucabalavu of the Methodist Church in Fiji said training in the ills of gender-based violence must be made compulsory.
“We should also have training in gender equality,” Deaconess Sala said.
“I think men fear the strength of women and they are not opening doors to allow discussions which involve or include women.”
Her comments were part of discussions at a women’s pre-assembly symposium and will form part of submissions to the main meeting at St Barnabas Cathedral beginning today.
PCC Secretariat member Peter Emberson said it was important that children were taught to respect women and children.
“Justice is taught in the home and it is imperative that respect for women is taught in this setting. That is where it all starts,” Emberson said.
“If we can change the dynamics of how men treat women and children we will have taken a huge step towards the elimination of gender-based violence.”
More than 30 women from the Pacific region attended the pre-assembly event.
Asena Naisara of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva warned women to learn from the past.
“Some of us have grown up with violence against women in the home and it’s time to break that cycle,” Naisara said.
“If we don’t stop the violence our grandchildren will sit here 30 years from now addressing the same issue.”
Source: http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/solomon-islands/483/churchs-role-in-the-fight-against-gender-based-vio/

Floods in Fiji

In January, heavy rains caused floods in Fiji in January. Here's a youtube clip here that shows images of the flooding, and an ABC news story.

Deaconess Salanieta Naveata writes (3 Feb 2012): 

BULA!!!! Thank you for thinking of us!! We have just had a second round of floodings. They are mostly on the western part of Fiji - I went around the island as soon as the first flood hit us and  it was so devastating to see the poor villagers' homes being hit. I raised this concern to the hierarchy of our church here (H.Q. Methodist Church) and they are waiting for reports from the resident ministers of those places that were hit. I am hoping to request the women fellowship groups to donate kitchen utensils. Sala.

Please pray for the work of the Deaconess Association in Fiji, for those affected by the floods, and for the emergency workers.

Methodist Church in Fiji cancels annual conference

The Methodist Church in Fiji fears there would be more arrests if it went ahead with its annual conference in Rewa this month.

After weeks of defiance against a ban by the interim government on the conference, church leaders have backed down and cancelled the event.

Deputy general secretary Reverend Tevita Banivanua says nine church leaders are currently before the courts and they feared the reaction if the conference was held as planned with ministers from other parts of Fiji in attendance.

Rev Banivanua says the cancellation does not mean the Methodist Church accepts what the interim government is doing, and the church will look at other ways of expressing its opinions.

Copyright © 2009 Radio New Zealand.

Read more here.

The Uniting Church in Australia expresses support and solidarity for the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma. Read the statement here.

Prayers for Fiji

At the World Diakonia Assembly, we prayed for our deaconess sisters from the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma and the increasing tension between the church and the military regime, and in particular for the situation that has led to the arrest of a dozen church leaders who plan to hold the age old (1850's) annual meeting of the Methodist Church at the end of August despite the military regime requesting that it be cancelled because it was deemed 'too political', and would breach Fiji's 'Public Emergency Regulation'. Fiji’s Methodist Church may not be allowed to hold its annual conference for the next five years if it does not comply with Government’s request to wash its hands off politics. It is expected that all members of the Church Standing Committee will be detained and charged. A statement of support to the church leaders was sent from the World Diakonia Assembly. Please remember our brothers and sisters in Fiji at this difficult time and continue to uphold them in prayer.