A Methodist Church official has voiced strong criticism regarding the church’s inaction amid a deepening national crisis characterized by increasing drug trafficking, teenage pregnancies, sexual offenses, and rising HIV/AIDS rates. Reverend Iliesa Koroi, Evangelism Secretary for the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, emphasized the church’s failure to address these urgent issues effectively.
Reverend Koroi pointed out that both the Government and community leaders have become exhausted in their efforts to tackle these challenges, largely due to the church’s lack of engagement. “The Government and the community have worn themselves out trying to combat these social issues because we, the prophets, are not doing our job,” he stated.
He expressed disappointment with pastors and other leaders for their ineffectiveness, arguing that real change happens through spiritual guidance rather than mere education. “People don’t change through education but through the word of God,” he noted, adding, “The Government and the community are tired because the men of God are sleeping on the job.”
Highlighting the need for the church to better involve itself with youth facing issues of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and pornography, he stressed that success in addressing these problems hinges on faith. “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 said. “Only God can change Fiji.”
Reverend Koroi also criticized modern families for neglecting spiritual practices, urging them to spend quality time together and to pray. “Families need to spend time with each other and, most importantly, pray together,” he implored.
In response to Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya’s suggestion to reinstate the death penalty for serious drug traffickers, he rejected the notion as an ineffective approach. “She is a minister but can’t address the issue properly; instead, she proposes death. That is not the solution,” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of tackling the underlying causes of crime instead of resorting to extreme measures. “We must address the root of the problem, which is the desire within a person.”
Reverend Koroi is calling for unity among religious leaders and urged all faith communities to work together to confront the country’s pressing social challenges. “Let’s work together,” he declared during his re-election to the position.