Social issues to take centre stage at next week’s Methodist Church Conference

The Methodist Church in Fiji says addressing social issues such as HIV and AIDS, drugs and domestic violence will also be a key focus during their week-long annual conference at the Vodafone Arena starting next Monday.

Church General Secretary, Reverend Dr. Jolame Lasawa says these issues have always been central to the church’s engagement with stakeholders, including the Police.

Reverend Lasawa says he received a message yesterday that the church and police legal teams are currently holding discussions on how they can collaborate to tackle issues, and that a Memorandum of Understanding will soon be signed.

He also highlighted that police are often invited to divisional-level church meetings to speak about drug abuse and its impact on individuals.

Meanwhile, thousands of people are expected to attend the conference, including 500 ministerial representatives and another 500 divisional representatives.

He adds that on Sunday there will be a March of Witness from John Wesley Primary School to the Vodafone Arena at 8am, followed by a welcoming service at 10am.