Table Of Content)
A LAY PREACHERS CURRICTILUM DEYELOPMENT FOR THE
METHODTST CEURCH IN FIJI: Á. PED,4,GOGY FOR ENHANCING THE LIFE
AI\[D THE MTSSION OT THE CHURCH
IN
DOCTOR IN MIIìIISTRY PRCIJECT
SECOND DRAF'T
BY
EPINEBI VAKAI}EWAVOSÂ
CT"AREMONT SCHOOL OF' THECII,OGY
PROFESSCIRS:
DR. ELIZABETE CONDE FRÂ,ZIIR
Dn- SCOTT CORMCIDE
6th Aprit, 20AL
This professional project completed by
Eprivnnr V¿,r¡.nrwAvo sA
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
DOcTon oF MINISTRY
Faculty Committee
Elizabeth Conde Frazieq Chairperson
Scott Cormode
I)ean of the Faculty
Marjorie Suchocki
May 2001
Due to extenuating circumstances, final edits were not completed for this project.
CO1\iTENTS
Introduction
CH"å.PTER 1: t-8
Problem I
koblem
Importance of the I
Thesis
2
Terms
Definition ofMajor 3
Field
Tl/orks previously done in the 5
Scope and Limitations ofTlre Project 7
Integration I
Prsceúure of
Context
CHAPTER 2: Historiral t{Þ31
Hunf's School in Yiwa 10
Layrng the Foundation: A Thoughtful Strafegy l0
Missionaries Competence 14
Vision
John Hunt's i6
Cutture
Hunt's Respect of 19
Viwa School in Progress 2l
Traiaing of Lay Preachers 71
Materials
Printed 22
Sending of Lay Preachers 24
Lay Preachers as Lay Le¿de¡s 26
Curriculum
27
Subject
General 27
Theologicai Education 29
Holistic Education 3û
Entire Sanctification 31
CEA.PTER3: ExposÍtion 34-49
Existing Curieulum 34
Criteria for Selection ofProbationers 34
Exams
Quarterly lv{eeting 35
Subjects for Informal Preparation and Training 37
Recognition for Full Accredited Lay Preachers 38
Statistics of the Methodist Church in Fiji 4û \¡
Total Membership and Places ofltrorship 40
Limitations of Ministers 4l rt
LayPreachers asLay Leaders 42
Women
Parficipation of 43
IdentifyingTheProblem
45
Problems of Organiz¿tional Reforms 45
Subject Inadequacy: Casualpreparation and Training 4.1
Teachers
Needs for well Trained 4g
Hindrance to Church Progress and Mission 49
CHAPTER 4; A New Curriculum forlny preachcrs Sl -?S
Philosophical and Theological Perspectives 51
Philosophy for Lay Preaching 5t
Perspective
Theological 57
ofMinisrry
Theology 6l
Pedngory, Theory and Practice 65
Contextualization
65
Theorists
7A
Training
Effective 77
Mission
Improving The 7g
CHAPTER 5 I Sytlabus For Inrcgration gó-lls
Criteria
Probationary 86
preaching
Qualifications: for Candid¿tes for Lay g6
ûral Examinations Bg
Leaders & Quartedy Meetings Reflection 9l
ofSubjects
Sequence 94
Iæsson l: Biblical Studies 94
Theology
Lesson 2: 98
Lesson 3: Worship and Preaching 99
Leadership
Lesson 4: 103
Preacher
Full Accrcdited Lay 106
Quarte,dyltdeetingAssessment 106
Service
Dedication 108
oflVorship
Order I 13
Certificates
114
ContinuingBducation
115
CEAPTER 6: Summary ll8-122
Summary of Chapters 118
Strategy for Implementation 120
Thesis
Conclusion on 122
BIBLIOGRAPHY t2sr.33
a
GIossary
a Ai Tokani ni Vol* Tabu -the Fijian Bible Concordance6r
a Ban- the chiefly island of Fiji rras only fwenty ¿cres in ¿rea and 35û yards wide at
any point and was onty half a mile frorn fhe rnain land. The overlcrd chief Cakobau
resided in this small island.
o Bete- means the traditional priest ofthe chief and the people, The Bete was
responsible for all religious duties, and senÈed as advisor *nd eonsitant (like a
soothsayer) tothe chief and the people.
.y
a Cakobau- the savaged chief ofBau who lordlover Fi.ii becarise ofhis prestige and
pouier. He became recogaieed as th€ leading chief ofFiji. His csnversion in 1854
marked the turning point ofFiji's missionary history. Itïr.asthe decision of Cakobau
that brought about úe cession of Fiji to the Britißh Crorr¡n in 1874.
a Ilauvunau Yakatovolei - lðy preacher under probation.
I Ilauvunau Yaco- a f,ull accredited lay preacher.
{
a I)avuilevu- the place where the Fiji Methsdist Church Theological College and other
church instit¡¡tions are located.
a K¿davu-a remste island ó0 miles to the south ofFiji, was Ðne sf the islands first
afiected by the Christian revival at Viwa, that brought conversion to many young
lYt}men"
I Lakemban- is the language ofthe island of Lakemba in the East ofFiji where the
early missionaries first landed in 1835. The flrst language used forthe trånslation of
the Bible.
O tali- the wooden drum.
I
O Lua-the chief of Nadroga who was converted on the way by the leper boy who was a
student of John Hunt in Viwa.
a Nadroga-a district in the we$ of Viti l¡vu, its chief was Lua.
a Rewan- is the dialect of the people of Rewa situated onthe deltaof the Rewa River.
Part of the Bible translafion was done in the Rewan dialect.
a Somosomo- the chiefly village onthe island of Taveuni in the North East ofFiji. It
was first considered 1o be the headquarters for mission, but Hunt diverted it to Viwa.
a Talatala Qase- the District or Divisional Superintendent.
a Tui Kilakiln- the notorious chief of Somù$omo, r¡vho was e great obstacle to the
growth ofthe mission, work in Fiji.
a Vak¡tawa- a full accredited lay pastor.
t Varani- the chief of Viwa was given the baptismal name of Elijah. Also known as,
"the peacemaker of Fiji."
o Viti Levu- the largest island in Fiji, where Nadroga and Rewa are situated. It was
mostly Christianized by lay elangelism. The island w-hich Hunt circumnavigated to
station his pastor teachers.
o Viwa- the prominent historical island closest to Bau, which became the mission
headquarters, where the RevJohn Hunt was laid to rest. The home of Varani and the
generating place of Christian revival and growth in Fiji.
2
D
Introduction
Problem
The problem that will be defined thoroughly in this Doctor of Ministry project shall focus
on the ineffective training of the lay preachers as a result of an inadequate curriculum,
which significantly contribute to their limitations as they participate in the life and the
work of the church.
Importance of the Problem
In the author's analysis, the lay preachers are the front line of the church, because they do
most of the task in the proclamation of the gospel and participate in other areas of
leadership. Statistically, the total church membership is 245,642, ordained ministers in
active service arc 364,lay preachers are 10,524,and places of worship numbered 1,260.1
When one looks at these statistics, one realizes that in every church service on Sundays
and Wednesday nights within the conference area, ministers will preach :.rl,364 churches
only, while lay preachers will be preaching in the remaining 852 churches. In another
analysis, lay preachers are also used in important areas of leadership to assist the
lst /to\\s
In¿-o-"..l è' F,jl@lee8.
i,L-1+ Tyíodist chwch in Note: Statistics pertaìning to lay preachersl
q ll no{¿S . @îeti¡ eamlweanyt sa rinsed eþv edriys cyiepalifn, adruye atcot itohnes increlaaVs en roefa cnheewrs l.ntake' ol*¡¿e Àerlcrn'.tnin5 tqd-ors qrtr
f
aj,or^"f
ministers. They take the roles of lay pastors, class leaders, Bible study leaders, committee
leaders, fellowship group leaders and Prayer meeting leaders. Despite their limitations
due to inadequate training, they interact more with the congregations then the ministers.
The author served in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas
(MCCA), from 1't September 1983 until June 6th lgST,through an exchange progfttm
between the MCCA and the Methodist Church in Fiji under the sponsorship of the British
overseas Mission.2 The author was very impressed by the way the church recognizes the
roles of its lay preachers by providing a relevant curriculum, which determined their
effective participation in its life and mission. The MCCA trains and organizes its lay
preachers through regular classes, workshop seminars, tetteat,provide reading materials,
and other visual aids. All these efforts, which are part of the curriculum, raised the
standard of their preaching and participation in the life and the mission of the church.
This is an important observation that drives the author's passion for the development of
the lay preachers' curriculum in the Methodist Church in Fiji.
The intention of this project is to propose an extensive development of the existing
curriculum that would enhance the lay preachers' work and simultaneously strengthen
their participation in the life and the mission of the Methodist Church in Fiji. In January
1992 after graduating from the Pacific Theological College, the author was appointed to
the Church's head office as Assistant Secretary for the Lay Pastors and Lay Preachers
department. This appointment which lasted for one year only, had enabled him to interact
.)
,/
t The proposed exchange program did not materialøe dg/to insufficient ministers in the Methodist Church
in the Caribbean and the Americas. For example, in the Oistrict where the author sewed, a circuit was
without a minister and!¡¡. to be supervised by Íre Senior Superintendent with assistance ûom his
colleagues. hcà
7
