Final decision on Methodist Church’s Indian Division name expected to be made next week

The Methodist Church in Fiji is still continuing to have an Indian Division however a final decision is expected to be made next week.

Calls have already been made by the Indian Division of the Methodist Church in Fiji to change its name since it is a race based name for the division.

This motion was moved by the Indian Division of the church at their Annual Conference at Centenary Church in August last year.

Church Secretary for Communications Reverend James Bhagwan says the church had asked the division to write back to them and give the reasons on why they want the name change.

He says the issue will be discussed in the Methodist Church Conference next week.

It was highlighted last year that the motion was referred to the Executive Committee to discuss the appropriateness of the changing of the name.

Reverend Bhagwan had said that they will need to think of an appropriate name and change it if it needs to be done.

Fijivillage has raised this issue in the past on why the Methodist Church continues to have an Indian Division for its church as it is based on race.

Earlier statements from the church had said that the community wanted to stick to the name.

However this division has made it clear that they do not want a race based name.

Meanwhile the overall membership of the Methodist Church in Fiji is expected to be revealed next week.

The 2016 Statistics Report presented in last year’s conference showed that 3,554 members left the church in the 12 month period.

The church membership recorded for 2016 was 198,610.

There were 202,164 members of the Methodist Church in 2015.

Members joining other Christian denominations continue to be the main reason for the decline in membership.