Today the Methodist Church in Fiji pays
its final tribute and bids farewell to its Chief Shepherd, the Late Rev. Dr.
Tuikilakila Waqairatu.
Yesterday afternoon, his body was
brought home to the Pender St. compound in which the leaders of the Methodist Church
in Fiji reside; home to the Waqairatu family since 2005 when he took up
appointment as the Deputy General Secretary of the church. This morning the
funeral procession will leave Pender Street, making its way through Ratu
Cakobau Road, Victoria Parade and finally to Stewart Street and Centenary
Methodist Church for the funeral service which is expected to begin at 10am..
The funeral service will be conducted by
the General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Fiji, Rev. Tevita Nawadra
Banivanua. Former Church presidents will also participate in the service, which
is expected to include tributes from the Vanua, the local, regional and overseas
churches and the family of the late Rev. Dr. Waqairatu. Following the funeral
service, the cortege will travel along the King’s Road to Davuilevu where Rev.
Dr. Waqairatu will be laid to rest, next to Baker Hall, the renovation of which
he was spearheading, through the remnant giving programme he developed. The
final rites will be conducted by the church’s interim president, Rev. Laisiasa
Ratabacaca.
Students from Methodist Schools in the
Suva/Nausori corridor are expected to form a guard of honour along the funeral
procession route.
Given that the Methodist Church in Fiji
is the largest religious community in Fiji with more than a quarter of the
population considering themselves Methodists, Rev. Dr. Waqairatu’s funeral will
be broadcasted live.
·
I-Taukei language station,
Radio Fiji One will carry live coverage of the funeral service, procession and
committal.
·
Television channel, Fiji One,
working with Digicel, will broadcast live coverage of the funeral service from
Centenary Church. It will include its coverage of the committal at Davuilevu in
its replay of the service.
·
The Methodist Church and
Telecom Fiji Limited will provide a live internet stream for overseas viewers
on https://my.tfl.com.fj/index.php?route=stream&stream=9d32a6a866ec8a8e6957f34dd230e49c&action=view
Last year, I watched as he worked
ceaselessly with Rev. Banivanua in preparation for his first conference as President.
It had been a busy year for the Church executives developing a Connexional
Plan, revising the Constitution of the Church, and working to reconcile leaders
who still carried wounds from the church’s schism.
As a young minister, joining the leadership
team of the church, under the guidance late Rev. Dr. Waqairatu, I had the
honour to spend some moments in conversation with him. He was passionate about
his faith and the reconciliation, renewal and revival that he believed needed
to take place in the Methodist Church and among the Christian community. While
I still in theological college, he spoke to me about the need for the church to
improve her communication internally and externally. This is not surprising,
considering he had undertaken training in Radio Programme Production and
Presentation and even creative writing while I was still an infant and for 16
years ran the Word of God Ministry on Radio Fiji. Late last year, in Korea, he
shared how inspired he was by the spirituality of the Korean Christian
community and the work ethic of Korean pastors, suggesting that this is where
the future leaders of the Methodist Church in Fiji should have some training or
experience.
Rev. Dr. Waqairatu’s ecumenical journey
which began very early in his ministry during his studies at the Pacific
Theological College and continued over a span of thirty five years to include
ecumenical cooperation locally, regionally and on a global level. As the World Council of Churches
acknowledged, he championed gender justice issues, encouraged spiritual renewal
of the church and pushed for the church to continue a dialogue of
reconciliation within and outside itself.
Ultimately Rev. Dr. Waqairatu strove to
call the church to holiness and righteousness. Holiness of mind, body and
spirit. This was the motive behind his somewhat misunderstood call for
confirmed members and clergy of the Methodist Church to refrain from excessive
drinking kava, smoking and over-eating.
In his last public message, issued for
New Year’s day this year, Rev. Waqairatu called for 2014 to be a “Year of
Righteousness.”
“Clean and just living accompanied
by putting God first in our life are two strong and healthy ingredients for a
successful nation building. For Fiji to achieve both, I am suggesting two
things that every Christian must do. First, is to love, read,
study and practice God’s word from the Holy Scriptures and
second is to be spirit filled and spirit-led,” he wrote.
“Combining the two, God’s
word and the leading of the Holy Spirit, a citizen of Fiji will find
his/her way to RIGHTEOUSNESS. Righteousness is powerful; it leads
to prosperous and miraculous living and
offers security to the land. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous;
and his ears are attentive to their cry.” (Psalm 34: 15)”
Many onboard the drua of the Methodist
Church are wondering which direction the church will head now that this
charismatic captain is no longer at the helm. Yet the drua will weather the
rough seas under the watch of the seasoned skipper, Interim President Rev.
Laisiasa Ratabaca who has not only served twice as President but also
previously acted as interim president, following the death of Rev. Jione Lagi. This drua, designed to weather the winds of
change, designed to accommodate all those who seek to aboard and travel on it,
will continue the course chartered by the late Rev. Dr. Waqairatu, under the
skilful guidance of the drua’s navigator, General Secretary Rev. Banivanua.
As you reflect on the life and work of
this servant leader, please remember his wife and partner in ministry Iowana
Waqairatu as well as their daughter, Roko Salote Waqanibete. Only a few days
before his death, he walked down the aisle and gave her hand in marriage. His last
words spoken in Centenary Church were as a parent, a father and father-in-law
to his daughter and her husband. They were words of encouragement and reminding
of the partnership and unity that they were entering into.
Farewell good and humble servant of God,
enter into and share your Master’s joy. He will be remembered as the leader at
the forefront of reform, reconciliation and change in the history of the Fijian
church and its people.
For us who remain, the message remains –
some are called to envision and begin the work, some to carry out the work and
some to complete the work envisioned and begun by others.
Let remember that we are only given some
time to do our part. We must make that time count.
Simplicity, serenity, spontaneity.
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