Fiji

Epeli Kanaimawi, who pastors our congregations in Fiji, found himself playing a critical role in negotiations that followed the disrupting coup of May 2000.

Ratu (chief) Epeli was asked to be chairman of a sub-committee on Fijian reconciliation established by the Great Council of Chiefs, an advisory body representing the traditional clans of indigenous Fijians from across the nation of about 300 islands.

Because of his many years of respected civil service, and of having taken on this responsibility not long before the coup, he found himself as one of the chief negotiators between coup leader George Speight and government officials.

Using the wisdom that God gave him moment by moment, and striving to represent and reflect the way that our Savior would want people to respond in such difficult circumstances, Epeli spent many long hours with officials from both sides, seeking common ground, a peaceful solution and reconciliation.

Long and stressful weeks followed with the situation sometimes making it difficult for him and his family.

The aftermath of the coup has left the country with even more work to be done in the area of ethnic and social reconciliation and economic reconstruction. Ratu Epeli, who is widely known and respected as a minister of our fellowship, feels the work that lies ahead of him, both through the church and as chairman of the committee on reconciliation, is now of even more importance than it has ever been.

Vanuatu

The church continues to grow on the island of Malekula in Vanuatu. At the festival last October, about 50 people met in the church’s thatch-roofed building in a jungle clearing at the remote village of Rory. On one day nearly 100 came, spilling over outside because the hall seats only about 65.

The members, under the direction of deacon Billy Taren, have put together an impressive church campus at the village. They constructed the church building a couple of years ago, and have now added a kindergarten and a dining hall. Next year, they plan to build a women’s ministry building to be used for meetings, activities and storage of sewing and craft items produced by the women for sale.

The road to the village was upgraded before the festival, and the Vanuatu government sent the church a letter thanking them for helping with funding this project.

Members are pastored and visited by elder William Davies, who lives on the neighboring island of Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit). Baptisms in the last year included the chief of the village of Metoune.

In February, Malekula was devastated by a cyclone (hurricane) and much damage was incurred to crops and property. About 12 member families either lost or had their homes severely damaged.

Mr. Davies visited to assess their needs, and generous emergency financial assistance was contributed by New Zealand and Australian churches so the members could purchase food and start rebuilding their homes.

Rex Morgan from our Auckland, New Zealand, office provides pastoral supervision and visits Vanuatu once or twice a year.

Solomon Islands

On the remote western island of Ranongga, the church has a vibrant, growing and serving congregation led by Derek Jiru. Ranongga has no roads or electricity. The minimal medical services rely on a couple of nurses with basic training, but they have run out of medicine.

The Solomon Islands are in dire financial straits and there is little the government can do to help.

Our members decided to establish a first-aid station in their village of Qiloe, to save a two-hour walk to the nearest clinic (with no medical supplies)—at least for those with minor problems.

Because of a sister-congregation relationship with the Ipswich, Australia, congregation near Brisbane and support from the Mooroolbark congregation in Melbourne, where their supervising pastor, Doug Lewis, lives, help is being mobilized to aid Ranongga.

Through the efforts of our members, medical supplies are on their way for the clinic, and with some added training for an attendant nurse, it is hoped to have a new first-aid station in Ranongga soon.

A new spirit of cooperation is developing between the peoples of Qiloe and the neighboring village of Ombombula with their desire to establish a joint kindergarten for their children. Equipment and materials are being collected in Australia to help with this project. The outward focused approach of our members in Ranongga and their desire to serve the community and see the gospel spread is having an effect on the neighboring villages, bringing them into contact with other church groups, and creating a new atmosphere of reconciliation.

Papua New Guinea

Named The Land of the Unexpected, sometimes for good reason, Papua New Guinea is exciting and challenging. The small group of members in Port Moresby are energetic, use Australia’s Living Today magazine to reach out into the community, and desire to start their own publication with articles more specifically tailored to the spiritual needs of the people there.

The largest group of members are in Chimbu in the central highlands, but on occasions, adverse circumstances—weather, airstrip closures, tribal warfare—have prevented visits by pastoral coordinator Ken Slade. On one previous visit, Mr. Slade had to mediate in an inter-tribal conflict in which our members were caught up.

It was an excellent learning opportunity for them to understand what being a practicing Christian means in their cultural environment. For Mr. Slade, it was a classic experience in striving to help them allow the word of God to override centuries of traditions of trying to use revenge to settle disputes.

Other members are scattered across the country in Wewak, Lae, Madang, Milne Bay and other places. The country has a general problem with lawlessness, perhaps reflecting the cultural stresses in a country whose people come from ancient civilizations but who are now trying with few resources to survive and progress in a technological age.

Several members take correspondence courses on Christian leadership and evangelism from a theological college that are designed for that society. When completed, several members will be better equipped to provide the pastoral leadership needed to guide our members into a closer relationship with God, and to spread the gospel in their communities.

Elsewhere

We have scattered members in a number of small island nations around the South Pacific: American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Western Samoa.

CHURCH BUILDING—The church building
in Qiloe, Ranongga, Solomon Islands.
[Photo by Doug Lewis]