Fiji Methodist Church celebrates 60 years of independence and 189 years of faith

Members of the Methodist Church in Fiji celebrated their 60th year of independence after splitting from the Australasia Methodist Church in 1964.

In July 1964, the church became independent after being a mission under the Wesley and Methodists mission in the United Kingdom for 129 years and it has been run under the Methodist Church in Australasia based in Australia.

The celebration is also a part of their thanksgiving to the almighty after guiding the congregation since 1835 during the establishment of Methodism in Fijian Christianity that came about in Lakeba, Lau.

After 2-years, Fiji was proposed by missionaries to be part of the district of Australasia until 1936 when a few iTaukei groups led by the Tui Navatu Ratu Nacanieli Rawaidranu who encouraged all the Navatu descendants to walk and pay the debts of the Methodist Church in Australasia and work toward independence that is led by iTaukei and not Europeans.

Members of every Methodist Church in Fiji were seen in numbers yesterday as they commemorated the milestone achievement of being independent and being the ambassadors of Christ in Fiji.