Tongan Centennial Conference Outstanding in Every Aspect

Fakatapu kihe ‘afio ‘a e Ta’ehamai, ‘a e Tolu Taha’i ‘Otua, koe ‘Tu’i ‘oe ‘Univeesi. Fakafeta’i ko ‘etau lave he fu’u monu moe tapuaki ‘o e mo’uii. Fakatapu ki he’ene ‘Afioo mo e fale ‘o Tupou mo Ha’a Moheofo ka koe Tu’i ‘ oe ‘Otu Tonga.

Fakatapu ki he Tangata’eiki Palesiteni ‘o e Siasi Uesiliana Tau’ataina ‘o

Tongaa mo Ha’a Faifekau, mo ha’a lotu, pea pehe ki he kau Fakafofonga

Konifelenisi kotoa ‘i he Konifelenisi ‘o e Siasi Uesiliana Tau’ataina ‘o Tonga ‘i he konifelenisi 2024.

‘Oku ‘oatu ‘a e fakamalo loto hounga’ia mo’oni ki He’ene ‘Afioo moe Siasii hono kotoa ‘i Tonga ‘i hono tauhi mo hono tokangaekina ‘a e Tangata’eiki Palesitenii , Rev Peter Taylor; Tokoni Palesiteni, TeRito Peyroux-Semu mo kinautolu kotoa pe ‘a e kau fakafofonga mei he Siasi Metotisi ‘o Nu’u Silaa.

Ko ho’omou fofonga fiefiaa, anga faka-kaume’aa, mo hono talitali mafana kimautolu he’ikai toe ngalo ia ‘i he’emau manatuu. Koe Konifelenisi fakamafana pea fakalaumalie foki. Fakafeta’i ki he ‘Otua.

President Peter and I, along with over 250 other participants from our Hāhi, who were mostly from Vahefonua Tonga o Aotearoa, had the privilege and pleasure of being part of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga’s Centennial Conference and Celebrations, held in Nuku‘alofa, in the Kingdom of Tonga at the end of June.

The theme of the Centennial Conference was Fakalotofo’ou, which I understood to be the renewal or revival, particularly of the heart, mind, and spirit.

Like the church Conferences of the past, this one brought together representatives from the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga’s Synods (or Vahefonua) throughout the different islands of Tonga, and various parts of the world, as well as representatives from their wider Tongan Methodist and Ecumenical families.

According to the Minutes of the Conference, this year there were around 2945 participants in total, which included all the official delegates and guests (around 490 people), as well as the observers, members of the various choirs, support staff and volunteers. Given the significance of this celebration, and the ways in which so many people throughout the island (regardless of their church affiliations or not) were either involved in the preparations and hosting, or just warmly welcomed to enjoy the feasts, festivities and atmosphere, the total number of people present at the grounds during certain parts of the programme would have easily been much higher than this.    

A few evenings we were treated to Pōhiva, choral services, which in addition to giving opportunity to hear about the work and reflections of different members of Conference (on topics like overseas missions, ministry, history and education), also showcased the spectacular musical repertoire of the various choirs and brass bands that were in attendance, including our own.  

Like our Conference, in addition to the discussions and decisions made during the business sessions, there were also significant services marking the Opening of the Conference, the Induction and Covenant Renewal of the President and General Secretary, a time of Remembrance and Memorial for those who had passed away since the last Conference, the Recognition of Retiring Ministers, and the Ordination of new Ministers.

Another significant service was the Centennial Conference Service on the Friday morning (day five of eight), led by His Majesty King Tupou VI and accompanied by members of the royal household and nobility. In his sermon, His Majesty noted some of the poignant history and journey, which have shaped the aspirations of the church over the last one hundred years. He also offered considerations for the way that the church might efficiently move forward.

The main highlight of this Centennial Conference for me, was the profound way that this church actually has and does move forward, whilst still holding on to so much of its rich cultural history, heritage and identity.

A mere glance at the Conference participant numbers and make-up, gives us a huge clue about the level of organisational advancement, expertise and sophistication demanded from those working in the administrative, communications and logistics areas of the Conference and church. Yet every participant knew where they were going, staying or needing to be; voices and instruments were sufficiently amplified during the services and sessions in both the Centenary Church, as well as the programmes during the mealtimes at the Maamaloa Grounds; texts, orders of service, agendas and even conference minutes were efficiently projected or printed and provided; translation services were offered for those of us who didn’t speak Tongan; quality livestreaming services were available for those who weren’t able to be there in person; transportation and transfers, particularly for the visiting groups, were diligently considered and often even initiated, at times even by the same teams of amazing Conference and church support staff and volunteers.  And easily accessible spaces on site were also made available for light refreshments, and alternative seating areas in between sessions, services and meals, as well as professional medical assistance, in the event of any first aid or medical emergencies.    

If you know me, or even followed my social media stories during the time of this conference, some of my favourite times, were mealtimes (LOL!). While I am very grateful for the generous range of culinary delicacies (especially the fresh seafood and local produce) on offer throughout the Conference -and these far exceed anything I think I could ever imagine having anywhere else in the world - the reason why the mealtimes were my favourite times, was because of the way they were organised and hosted, as well as the way they have been adjusted, in response to some intentional collective reflection.

In recent years, the number of mealtimes each day was reduced from four to two, Brunch and Dinner, as a practical measure, making things easier for hosting groups, whilst also being mindful about consumption. This year things progressed even further, where there was a call to significantly reduce the use of plastic throughout Conference, especially during the mealtimes. For a gathering of this size, where different families that are rostered for catering, prepare most of the fare offsite and bring it in to be served, this was no mean feat! It required extra time to carefully prepare and transport food and equipment on to the grounds. People had to spend more time washing up dishes, crockery, glassware and cutlery, and afterwards more equipment had to be carefully packed and then transported offsite. The result was a huge reduction of plastic waste and rubbish at the end of each meal, let alone at the end of each day.  

During the same times that we were served our meals, we were also presented with the opportunity to observe and engage with some of the most perspicacious and meaningful oratory, insights and presentations by elders, representatives and even descendants of significant families, clans and hosting districts. As the whakatauki Māori reminds us: Ko te kai a te Rangatira, he kōrero, he kōrero (Knowledge and Communication is the food of Chiefs/Leaders), it was a distinctive and sometimes quite emotional highlight, during the times of the day where there were certainly a lot more younger generations present, to also observe, listen, learn from, or just simply bask amidst the rich, beautiful kōrero of their elders, leaders, family, community and church.

‘Oku ou fie fakahoko atu ‘ae fakamalo koeni ki he Vahefonua Tonga ‘o Aotearoa, kia Faifekau Kuli Fisi’iahi, pea ki ho hoaa, Luseane Fisi’iahi ‘i ho’omo faifatongia lelei ‘i hono tokangaekina kimautolu lolotonga ‘a e Konifelenisii.

‘Ofa ke kei fai tapuekina aipe kimoutolu mei he Ta’ehamaii.

Ko hono fakakatoaa, fakamalo atu kiate kimoutolu kotoa pe nemou tokoni’i kimautolu lolotonga ‘emau ‘i Tonga na. Fakatauange ke fai tapuekina kotoa kimoutolu mei ‘olunga. ‘Oku ou ‘ofa lahi atu kiate kimoutolu.