Church history and affiliation Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma

view of house enclosing grave of rev. william cross, , principal heathen temple, @ somosomo, feejee (iv, november 1847, p.120)

christianity introduced fiji in 1830 3 tahitian teachers london missionary society. australian-based wesleyan missionary society began work in lakeba in lau islands on 12 october 1835 under david cargill , william cross, along tongans. conversion of many prominent chiefs, including seru epenisa cakobau, in 1854, led conversion of of population.

large-scale indian immigration fiji began in 1879, , indian mission began in 1892.

in 1964 methodist church in fiji became independent entity.

the methodist church of fiji , rotuma member of world council of churches (since 1976), pacific conference of churches, fiji council of churches, , world methodist council.

the 2006 coup d état

the powerful methodist church backed past 3 coups, has opposed 2006 coup.

the methodist church condemned coup d état carried out republic of fiji military forces on 5 december 2006. church issued 20-point statement on 2 february 2007 analyzing various factors in coup, including actions of military commander, commodore frank bainimarama, depose , reinstate president ratu josefa iloilo, dismiss cabinet, , dissolve parliament, of said legally actionable. statement called on bainimarama resign interim prime minister allow politically neutral interim cabinet formed, comprising respected citizens. church called 86-year-old president iloilo, publicly condoned actions of military, medically boarded and, if necessary, retired dignity.

while condemning coup, statement stopped short of calling deposed government reinstated, instead recognizing reality normal democratic rule needed process restore it.

the statement of methodist church provoked angry reaction military spokesman major neumi leweni, said church had allowed used .

in past, church once called theocracy , fueled anti-hindu sentiment.