Fiji and Rotoma Methodist Church is the largest Christian denomination in the Fiji Islands. 36.2% of the country's population belong to it, including 66.6% of the indigenous people (according to the 1996 census ). In 1996, there were 280,628 methodologists in Fiji. Of these, 261,972 were native Fijians , 5432 were Fiji-Indians , 13,224 were representatives of other ethnic groups. The church plays a big role in Fiji . According to the latest data, the number of parishioners of the church was 212,860 people.
Content
Device
The church is headed by a president (a priest with at least 10 years of experience), elected at the conference. His term of office is no more than three years. Now this position is occupied by Tevita Navadra Banivanua . The church has 2860 parishes, led by 430 pastors. The church is divided into 338 districts and 56 divisions.
History
Christianity appeared in Fiji in 1830 thanks to Tahitian missionaries. Subsequently, Australian and Tongan preachers conducted missionary work on the islands. The conversion to Christianity of many leaders, such as the future king of Fiji Tacombau , contributed to the conversion of a significant part of the indigenous population.
In 1879, active Indian migration to Fiji began. In 1892, the Indian Mission on the islands opened.
In 1964, the Fiji Methodist Church became independent. In 1976, she became a member of the World Council of Churches , then the Pacific Conference of Churches and the World Methodist Council .
In 2006, the church sharply opposed the coup in Fiji and called for the restoration of a democratic government. in the past, the Fiji and Rotoma Methodist Church fueled anti-Hindu sentiment and called for a theocracy .
Links
Sources
- "The Office of the President." methodistfiji.org. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- "Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma." World Council of Churches. World Council of Churches. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- "Methodist Church in Fiji." www.methodistfiji.org. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- "View of the house enclosing the grave of Rev. "William Cross, and the principal heathen temple, at Somosomo, Feejee." Wesleyan Juvenile Offering. IV: 120. November 1847. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- "A Brief History of the Methodist Church in Fiji." Methodist Church in Fiji. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- Tribal chiefs critical of coup. The Sydney Morning Herald. December 7, 2006.
- “Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2005.” Hafsite.org. Retrieved 2013-04-30.