Fiji

The ministry of Global Mission Partners in Fiji involves the planting, establishment and development of local churches. The Indo-Fijian community, which is the main focus of GMP outreach, has only a very small percentage of people who are Christians. Evangelism, discipleship and strengthening the ministry of the churches is the main goal.

Profile

Population: 931,741
Language: Fijian, Hindi, English
Average life expectancy: 68 years (men), 73 years (women)
Major religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam

The Republic of Fiji is an archipelago of more than 300 islands, about 110 of which are inhabited. Early inhabitants were Melanesian islanders. Western influence began around 1643 with the arrival of Dutch explorers. Fiji became a British colony in 1874.

The London Missionary Society sent three Tahitian missionaries to Fiji in 1830, introducing Christianity into the islands. Little progress was made until about 1849 when the Paramount Chief was converted. By 1875 the Fijian church began sending its own missionaries to Papua New Guinea, Australia, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, New Zealand and Great Britain. Today Christianity makes up about 52% of the population, with 37% being Methodist and 9% Roman Catholic. Muslims make up about 8% of the population.

Owing to the large population of people of Indian heritage, dating back to the importation of Indian labor by the British for sugar production, about 38% of the population is Hindu. Mixing between the indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities is minimal, and informal segregation runs deep at almost every level of society.

Current issues

Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector.

Fiji became independent in 1970. There have been a number of coups and several governments since that time and Fiji is currently experiencing political instability. The reason given for the coups has been concern over Indo-Fijian dominance of government and the economy. The uncertainty of land tenure causes disquiet and tension between and within ethnic groups.

Following the first coup in 1987 life for the Indo-Fijians became more unsettled and they became much more sceptical about their welfare in Fiji. It led many to seek a better future in neighbouring countries.  The latest census recorded that the present population of Indo-Fijians has reduced from 44% to 37%.

The daily routines of life in Fiji continue as normal for most people, though security is a prime concern.

In both indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities, women face discrimination and inequality. Violence against women is widespread and is noted as a key area of concern in the Fiji Government’s Women’s Plan of Action 1999-2008.

Young people between the ages of 15 and 29 make up 27 percent of Fiji’s population, and another 32 percent is aged under 14 years. Due to changing community structures and insufficient employment and livelihood opportunities, young people are particularly vulnerable to social and economic marginalisation.

(Sources: BBC News World Profile, World Convention of Churches of Christ, Oxfam, World Fact Book)

Fiji Community Churches of Christ

In December 1989 the South Pacific Consultation of World Mission was held in Fiji. Fijian churches invited their South Pacific neighbours to help them reach Fijian Indians for Christ. The Overseas Mission Board (OMB, now GMP) had been prayerfully considering a new area of outreach. A Fiji survey team was formed and significant discussions were held with key people. The work was overwhelmingly approved at Federal Conference in Brisbane in October 1990. Then began the prayerful search for appropriate people to pioneer this work.

In 1993, after lodging a series of visa applications, Peter and Vivienne Clegg arrived in Fiji to establish this new ministry. The intention was always to reach especially the Indian population of Fiji with the Gospel. The first church was established in the Suva suburb of Nakasi, which has a large concentration of Indian residents, with a second church being established in the rural area on the edge of Suva at Vuci South, Nausori, and later a new church was established at Vatuwaqa. On the western side of the island a church was established at Lautoka, with neighbouring churches also being established at Vitogo and Ba. Fiji has been a truly cross-cultural mission setting with missionaries serving from Australia, India, Vanuatu and PNG.

The ministry of Global Mission Partners in Fiji involves the planting, establishment and development of local churches. The Indo-Fijian community, which is the main focus of GMP outreach, has only a very small percentage of people who are Christians. Evangelism, discipleship and strengthening the ministry of the churches is the main goal.

The Nakasi and Vuci Rd churches are in the Suva area on the eastern side of Viti Levu while Vitogo and Lautoka are located on the western side of the main island. All the churches are surrounded mainly by the Hindu and Muslim communities. Mini crusades are organized frequently, often showing Christian movies, with the aim of reaching non-Christians with God’s Word.

Field Director

The oversight of the Fiji Community Churches of Christ is very competently directed by Bhimrao Thavare with a team of national pastors. Bhimrao came to faith while attending the Baramati Boys' Home run by Churches of Christ in Western India, then went on to pastor a church in Pune before becoming a lecturer in the Bible College there.

Bhimrao is capably supported in ministry by his wife Kanta. Kanta is very involved in the women’s ministry and visitation program. She plays the keyboard for the Nakasi Church services. The Thavares have three adult children: Vandana who has just qualified with a degree in physiotherapy from Curtin University in Perth; Aradhana who is a dental therapist aboard the OM ship Logos, and Samuel who is studying engineering in Perth. The children each have a vibrant, personal faith and take an active role in ministry.

Bhimrao and Kanta Thavare minister at the Nakasi Church, the first Churches of Christ church established in Fiji. Nakasi is a suburb 9 miles from the centre of Suva, Fiji’s capital city.

Bhimrao has oversight of the Churches of Christ in Fiji. As director of the ministry in Fiji he meets weekly to encourage the pastors on the east side near Suva and monthly with pastors on the western side of Viti Levu.

National Pastors

David and Christy Reddy pastor two small churches on the western side of the main island, Viti Levu. They conduct worship services at Lautoka on Sunday morning and Vitogo in the afternoon. David has been faithfully serving as a pastor with Churches of Christ since 2004 seeking to reach these communities for Christ.
 
Muneshwar Gaunder was a member of the Nakasi Church and demonstrated a special interest in the ministry. Bhimrao began training him from February 2006 to assist with the Bible Training Institute (BTI) courses. In 2007 Muneshwar undertook ministerial training at the South Pacific Missionary Training Centre (SPMTC) with his practical component being closely supervised by Bhimrao. He then spent two years ministering at the Vuci Road Church with his wife, Stella. This year Muneshwar has returned to SPMTC for further studies. Muneshwar and Stella have just celebrated the birth of their first child, a baby girl, Hadasha Asha.

Alvin Chand, along with his wife Rohini, commenced mid-2010 as part-time trainee pastor at Vuci Road Church. Initially he was undertaking on the job training and is now their full-time pastor. The goal of the church is to impact the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Church Ministry

Weekly ministry includes Sunday services, Sunday School, Saturday Youth Group, Bible Study and Women’s Ministry. The Women’s Ministry is held on Thursdays and includes a morning of prayer, door knocking and witnessing. A cell group on Wednesdays is held at different church members’ homes. They then invite their neighbours to join them for Bible study. This has often resulted in more people asking for prayer and some have joined the Women’s ministry group.

Media Ministries

Bhimrao regularly shares a Christian message on two secular Hindi radio stations and has a spot twice a week on Radio Naya Jeevan, the Hindi Christian radio station. Kanta also has regular opportunity to share on Christian parenting on Radio Naya Jeevan.

There are also occasional opportunities (such as Easter and Mother’s Day) to contribute Christian articles in the one and only secular Hindi newspaper.

Bible Training Institute

The Bible Training Institute (BTI) is a gospel outreach program which is advertised through the local newspaper, the Christian radio station, and by word of mouth through friends and relatives of the students.

BTI continues to minister to people of other faiths as well as Christian believers. The Bible correspondence studies include Christian Faith Basics, Christian Life and Devotion, and the Life of Christ.

Currently there are 160 students of all religious and racial backgrounds regularly studying these courses. About one third of these are prisoners. New students continue to register throughout the year including eight new students who have joined this year.

The BTI quarterly newsletter is posted to 235 students all over Fiji keeping past and present students updated with the latest news.

Suva Vanuatu Church

Over the past several years, under the leadership of Samuel and Judith Vusi, a church has been established in Suva with Ni-Vanuatu tertiary students at the University of the South Pacific. This church has developed a strong outreach to students and is building relationships with the other churches of Christ in Fiji. The Nakasi Church and this young church have had many functions together.

Prayer Points

Gospel outreach is challenging but expanding among the Indo-Fijians as well as other nationalities. Pray for this people group to become even more open to the Gospel.

Pray for the leaders of the churches in Fiji and Bhimrao as they look to the future.

PDF download

If you want a PDF to print out or take away with you, please find the Fiji update as an attachment below along with the latest newsletter from Bhimrao & Kanta Thavare.