A Methodist Church leader has expressed strong criticism regarding the church’s inaction amid a deepening national crisis characterized by rising drug trafficking, teenage pregnancies, sexual crimes, and increasing HIV/AIDS cases. Reverend Iliesa Koroi, the Evangelism Secretary for the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, emphasized the church’s neglect in addressing these pressing issues and called for urgent and more effective measures.
According to Reverend Koroi, both the Government and the local communities, or ‘vanua’, are overwhelmed in their attempts to tackle these social challenges, primarily because the church has failed to fulfill its responsibilities. He stated, “The Government and the vanua have exhausted themselves in trying to combat these social issues because we, the prophets, are not doing our job.”
He criticized fellow pastors and reverends for their ineffectiveness, asserting, “People don’t change through education but through the word of God.” He pointed out that both the Government and the vanua are fatigued from their efforts, suggesting that the church needs to wake up to its calling.
Reverend Koroi called attention to the crucial need for the church to connect more significantly with youth, who are struggling with issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and pornography. He remarked, “The police will get tired of uprooting and raiding drugs when these issues are not addressed from within themselves, and for this to happen, it needs God.” He stressed that “Only God can change Fiji.”
He also criticized the decline of family unity and the lack of prayer, urging modern families to reconnect spiritually. “Families need to spend time with each other and, most importantly, pray together,” he said.
In a strong response to Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya’s suggestion to reintroduce the death penalty for major drug traffickers, Reverend Koroi deemed this approach ineffective, stating, “She is a minister but can’t address the issue properly; instead, she proposes death. That is not the solution.” He argued that genuine solutions should tackle the underlying causes of crime rather than resorting to severe measures. “We must address the root of the problem, which is the desire within a person,” he added.
Reverend Koroi made a passionate plea for unity among religious leaders, urging all faith communities to work together in confronting the serious social problems facing the nation. “Let’s work together,” he declared as he was re-elected to his position.