Reverend Semisi Turagavou, the President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, has called on parents to take greater responsibility in their roles. This plea comes in light of troubling statistics from a Ministry of Women and Social Protection report, which reveals that 76 percent of children who have experienced abuse and neglect come from Christian households, with 75 percent of these cases involving iTaukei families.
Reverend Turagavou expressed concern over this significant involvement of Christian families, stating it reflects poorly on the community as a whole. “We acknowledge the problem and will not shy away from it,” he remarked, emphasizing that the church takes full responsibility for the ongoing social issues within homes, despite various awareness initiatives.
In response to these challenges, the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma is considering scaling back some church programs. Reverend Turagavou pointed out that certain activities may be detracting from valuable family time, which has been a prevalent concern among church members. He noted the detrimental impact that excessive church involvement can have on family interactions and stressed the importance of strengthening family units to mitigate negative outcomes for children.
“We will work with the congregation to reinforce family bonds to help resolve these issues,” he stated, highlighting the church’s commitment to addressing these pressing social concerns.