METHODIST CHURCH 101

How important is the Bose ko Viti or Annual Fiji Methodist Conference to Fijians, is it just the funds pledged or soli misinari ?Much as we like to believe in modern western democracy and one of its pillars-the separation of state politics and the church, in Fiji the separation is much more complex with the lewe ni lotu Waisele.
The nexus between the Methodist Church and Fijian Politics is part and partial of the doctrinal harmonizing of Lotu, Vanua kei na Matanitu that Wesleyan instructions created in 1838.
This is when the Wesleyan’s in Fiji under Reverend John Hunt formed the Bose ko Viti (Fiji Methodist Conference) after being recognized by the British Wesleyan Methodist Conference as large enough to do so.
In becoming a district of the British Wesleyan Methodist Conference, the Bose ko Viti was recognized internationally as a national identity. A first time ever such political recognition was given to the group of indigenous inhabitants of the Feejeean archipelago based on religion.
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From its inception the Bose ko Viti did not exist by itself but was fused with close collaboration with the Vanua and the Wesleyan Connexional Government that reinforced Kubuna hegemony over the other Matanitu’s of Burebasaga and Tovata especially after 1854 and Ratu Cakobau’s conversion to Christianity. More so the present three traditional Matanitus with the three Turaga Bale’s is a Wesleyan construct crafted by Rev Waterhouse to foster political unity of Viti by adopting a Fijian mindset. It was created mainly for the Fijians, symbolizing the British Wesleyan Methodism’s recognition of the Fijian’s independence and sovereignty over their islands.
Further, in the instruction to Missionaries published on 20 Feb 1825 as a guide to Wesleyans working overseas article 5 stipulates- Behaviour to Lawful Authority, as follows. ‘You know that the venerable WESLEY was always distinguished by love to his country, by his conscientious loyalty, and his attachment to that illustrious family that had filled the throne of Great Britain. You know that your Bretheren are actuated by the same principles, and walk by the same rule: and we have confidence in you that you will preserve the same character of religious regard to good order and submission “ to the powers that be”- in which we glory. Our motto is “FEAR GOD AND HONOUR THE KING”. These provisions directed the Wesleyans to strengthen the Turaga Bale’s authority and unity. This motto now adorns our national coat of arms. (Late Rev Dr. T Baleiwaga’s thesis ANU 2003).
That the Methodist Church is opposed to the present illegal regime is not surprising Understand Fiji Methodist History then you can Understand Fijian Politics.
J Baledrokadroka
ANU

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s message to the Methodist

Our Methodists should take a defiant leaf out of the heroic fight of Archbishop Tutu who told an equally defiant South African crowd against apartheid:
“We will be free!”, “All of us!”, “Black and white together!” and finished his speech saying:
“We are the rainbow people of God! We are unstoppable! Nobody can stop us on our march to victory! No one, no guns, nothing! Nothing will stop us, for we are moving to freedom! We are moving to freedom and nobody can stop us! For God is on our side!”

Military regime starts to crack up against Methodist defiance

Fiji’s military regime have had their first taste of peaceful defiance by the Methodist Church today – and they obviously didn’t like it.
We’re not talking about the military boys and girls but Frank Bainimarama, his senior military and police officers and his very few supporters.
Radio network Communications Fiji today filed this report:
“The government and the military have stressed that the Methodist Church of Fiji executives need to have a permit to have the church standing committee meeting today.
Permanent Secretary for Information and Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni said the standing committee cannot just meet without an approval to decide on their next step after the cancellation of the Church Conference.
Fijivillage has received confirmation that the church standing committee meeting has already started.
Meanwhile, Police Director Operations Waisea Tabakau said they are aware of the meeting and are taking the necessary steps.”
Later this afternoon, there were talks that members of the Methodist Church standing committee were going to be arrested for purpotedly breaking the public emergency regulation as suggested by Leweni.
It never happened!
So why didn’t the regime move in?
Sources confirmed that the regime was advised against it with a warning that arrests of the Methodist Church standing committee will be a fatal mistake.
The committee ended their meeting peacefully and guess what, Fiji’s military regime couldn’t do anything about it.
Leweni’s cowardly statement achieved nothing except to show to the world how Frank & Co.’s scare tactics are not having its desired effect on the Fijian masses.
Frank & Co. are ruling by bluff for far too long and it is the Methodist Church who can and will topple them with their peaceful defiance.
Watch!

Methodist Church will go ahead with their conference

It has been revealed today that Fiji’s largest religious group, the Methodist Church, will go ahead with its annual conference scheduled for August.
Sources confirm receiving the same response from all the ordained priests they spoke to.
The Methodist Church, believed to have around 300,000 followers in Fiji, are currently in a month long fast and prayer after it’s military regime slapped a ban on their annual conference meet planned to take place in Rewa.
This latest defiance from the Methodist Church against Frank Bainimarama’s junta is something that will determine Fiji’s destiny in the coming years.
Most christians in Fiji believe that the junta will sucuumb soon. There are even talks that Frank & Co. will seek assistance from the church as prophesied by Steven Penny in 1997.
We can also confirm that press statements announcing the Methodist Church defiance to go ahead with their annual conference was blocked off by the regime censors preventing its dissemination via the mainstream media.