AFCI World News

Ministering to Diverse Groups in Fiji

BY: Sione Veituna, Pacific Island Nations National Director

Pastor Kaipati Tekavei (AFCI minister living in Fiji), has been faithfully working this past year with the Methodist Circuit in the Veisari Methodist Community outside Suva. The Veisari Methodist Community is a land settled by descendants of immigrations from Pacific Island nations like Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga and others.

They speak multiple languages along with the local Fijian language and English. At church they read the Bible in all languages spoken by the members. Veisari is one the most diverse communities in Fiji. Although they are very proud of their Christian heritage, broken families and youth problems have been a big issue in these settlements. Kaipati and I have been trying to run workshops to help them realize that the Christ of the Bible surely offers solutions for these life issues.

Kaipati has started a small cell group meeting among the villagers and the leaders have invited Pastor Kaipati to run Bible studies and youth counseling in their community. As the youth experience the transformation that Christ brings, whole communities can be transformed.

Reaching Indians in the Pacific Islands

BY: Sione Veituna, National Director

A door has opened for AFCI to work with the Indian Division of the Fiji Methodist Church. It started when I was invited to speak at an Indian funeral at the invitation of a friend. Members of the elders of Dudley Methodist Church attended that service, and this opened the door to to speak at the head church of the Indian division of the denomination – Dudley Methodist Church. They have now asked me to help out in the English-Speaking worship services on a regular basis.

The Methodist Church is the largest denomination in Fiji. It has three divisions:-The Fijian, the Indian and the English-speaking divisions. I count it a blessing to be linked to the Indian ministry of the Methodist Church and to work with the leader of that ministry.

Pacific Islands Team Awaits Registration

 The AFCI ministries of Tonga, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu are in the process of consolidating into one Pacific Island Nations (PIN) team headquartered in Fiji. In December, PIN team leader Sione Veituna petitioned the government for official registration in Fiji and was told that it would take about two weeks. Unfortunately, the government has experienced great upheaval in recent years, and, through efforts to eliminate fraud and corruption, these official procedures often take much longer than initially thought.

In mid-May, Sione and his team are still waiting for the AFCI registration. Sione is in constant contact with the office responsible for registration, but they tell him that they are awaiting direct authorization from above. “All Christians need authorization from ABOVE, right!” Sione affirms. So, please pray for mighty intervention from ABOVE that the path may be cleared for the official launch of the AFCI PIN ministry. 

Sione Veituna, leader of the AFCI Pacific Island Nations team