No further action to be taken against Methodist Church sub-committee

The issue of the Methodist Church in Fiji’s submission on the proposed Village By‑laws has been clarified internally and no further action will be taken against the sub-committee members.

Methodist Church of Fiji Secretary of Communications Reverend James Bhagwan says some members of the sub-committee were concerned with the deadline of the submission back then and now the submission is sent again.

He says the earlier one that was sent to the iTaukei Affairs Ministry was a working draft and not the final submission.

Reverend Bhagwan says the Methodist Church General Secretary Reverend Dr Epineri Vakadewavosa has asked the sub‑committee to review and complete the final submission.

Reverend Bhagwan says the sub‑committee is being convened by Methodist Church Lay Vice‑President Apisalome Tudreu.

When asked on whether they have held consultations with the church members, he says the church has been involved in informal discussions with its members and a number of members of the church's Standing Committee are members of the sub‑committee working on the final submission.

Reverend Bhagwan says the Standing Committee is the highest decision‑making body of the Methodist Church, outside the Annual Conference, and its membership includes ministers and deaconesses, male and female lay representatives mandated by the conference to address issues affecting the life of the church and its members.

According to the earlier submission given in, the sub-committee of the Methodist Church in Fiji had asked the government not to enact the proposed village by laws, the Great Council of Chiefs to be reinstated and Fiji to be made a Christian State.

The five point submission put up by the church’s standing committee also wanted immediate open consultation with the iTaukei along with the removal of 17 decrees and policies which the church claims breach ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the rights of the indigenous people.

The sub-committee of the Methodist Church also wanted an extended timeline to review the proposed village by laws and review the 2013 Constitution.