IRCA Oceania Fijian Conference

In May next year, the Oceania region of the International Rural Churches Association (IRCA), together with the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma will host a conference in Fiji.

It’s been a long time coming, being face-to-face again as rural church people. Covid put paid to a planned gathering in Queensland in 2020 and we were at risk of disconnection until Zoom rescued the situation with a special event in Alexandra in May 2023.

From the 1980s rural church people in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have linked up ecumenically to support, encourage and resource one another. Held every four years from 1984 the Trans-Tasman conferences officially became IRCA Oceania in Atherton, Queensland in 2012. Lincoln, Canterbury hosted IRCA’s international conference in 2018. There was strong Pacific representation enabled by the MCNZ’s PAC fund. The vision and enthusiasm of one of the Pacific group, Wessley Manasa Vatanitawake, has given rise to the Fiji conference 26-30 May 2025.

Historically the gatherings have involved 30 to 50 people, with everyone returning home enriched and resourced and ready to defy any claim that rural churches are marginal or second class. Rural churches have discovered their life and purpose regardless of financial limitations. If there are people to be the church in a district, then they are sure to be on task as presence in, and service to, their community.

For the conference in Fiji our theme of listening puts Veitalanoa front and centre, with Pasifika stories taking priority and room set aside for stories from around the region. Topics for discussion include climate change, self-determination, seasonal workers to Australia and New Zealand, the incursion of international drug cartels, modern day slavery, and safety and well-being of women and families. One day will be spent visiting Rise Beyond the Reef (risebeyondthereef.org) and a local church and children’s home.

In order not to overwhelm the village hosts we have had to set quota, 10 each for Australia and Aotearoa, 10 under the auspices of the Pacific Conference of Churches and 13 Pasifika, including those living in Australia or Aotearoa. For our New Zealand quota we are currently focussing on finding people working on the land, to balance the ministry support people who have already put their hands up. We are ensuring we have Māori leadership for our group.

We owe it to Manasa that Fiji is to be our venue. Manasa is the secretary for communications and for the Methodist Church and when he put the idea of a conference to the President and Standing Committee they willingly agreed. The IRCA Oceania planning group for the conference comprises Manasa, Graeme Liersch who was to host the 2020 conference in Australia, Linda Cowan who led Local Arrangements for IRCA 2018 in Lincoln, and Robyn McPhail, IRCA Oceania networker.  

Some comments from participants in previous conferences:

· We share a key understanding that the faithful local church plays a very important role in its community. As we looked, listened and talked together, this understanding was reaffirmed and we were encouraged by new ideas for sharing good news. (Marlborough-Nelson, 2008)

· This would have to be one of the best things I have attended for years… I enjoyed the times when we gathered to study, sing and pray…The “Resilience” theme of Atherton strengthened and challenged our faith as we heard speakers both practical and theological. (Queensland, 2012)

The Methodist Church of New Zealand – Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa is supporting the conference, finding and funding three participants, one for the Aotearoa quota and two for the Pasifika quota. Conversation happening directly between Manasa in Fiji and Wasewase ko Viti Kei Rotuma is also a key connection. The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa is also supporting by enabling participants from Vanuatu to attend.

We are planning to have a Zoom option for the conference, especially given that onsite numbers need to be limited. This format was successful for IRCA’s conference in Dubuque, Iowa, USA in 2023 with recordings available on our website https://irca.online/irca-2023-dubuque2023/.

We will invite people to sign up for the Zoom link closer to the time; we hope and pray that internet connections will hold during the event.

https://irca.online/network/oceania/

Atherton Conference which remodelled Trans-Tasman as IRCA Oceania

Expressions of Interest to attend the conference are invited, especially from those working directly or indirectly with the land. Go to https://irca.online/irca-oceania-2025/ and scroll down for the link.

Financial Support for the conference to assist Pacific participants would be very welcome. Contact irca.oceania@gmail.com

Caption

Attendees at the Atherton Trans-Tasman Conference in 2012, where the conference was renamed the International Rural Churches Association, Oceania.