The President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, Reverend Semisi Turagavou, has once again urged ministers and deaconesses to reduce their consumption of yaqona (grog) and smoking. He highlighted this issue, along with several others, during his opening address at the 2024 Methodist Church Conference, held at the Centenary Church in Suva on Friday.
Reverend Turagavou pointed to various factors contributing to a decline in membership. He noted that the church has faced criticism for excessive yaqona consumption and the smoking habits displayed by its leaders, which have led some members to leave the Methodist Church due to inconsistent and impractical leadership behaviors.
“Our followers have openly expressed their dissatisfaction and lack of confidence in church leadership from both circuit and divisional levels,” Reverend Turagavou stated. “The behavior and leadership styles observed have distorted the image of Christ.”
He warned that many devoted members are leaving the church to join other denominations and faiths. To address this, he called on ministers and deaconesses to improve their conduct and work proactively to restore the genuine image of Christ within the church.
“We cannot merely depend on the experienced or those with seniority within our families; there must be a balance between seniority and performance,” he emphasized.