Fijian National Conference 2024

This year’s Fijian National Conference was held in Katoomba, hosted by 4 Fijian Congregations across the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery (Parramatta Community Uniting Church Leigh Fijian, Auburn Parish Berala Fijian, St Mary’s Uniting Church Fijian and Campbeltown Uniting Church Fijian), and saw over 700 participants from across Australia. 

The conference explored the theme “Irrepressible Love”, inspired by the 17th Assembly theme “Threads of Love”, challenging communities to unpack God’s relentless and unconditional love, and how we reflect that as we are called to serve others. 

While this national conference is not new, this year gave space to more leadership from young people across the PNP Fijian congregations in planning and executing the conference. Many youth and young adults took the opportunity to join the conference working committee and various working groups including the registration team, media team and organising the conference kids program and youth program! 

Across the 4 days, primary school kids and under had the opportunity to engage in an age-appropriate program that explored the theme of love, included interactive games, singing, dancing, snacking and a dedicated space in the main auditorium as a space for the young ones. 

The youth and young adults program started with a community paint and sip with a twist, creating a 3rd space for Talanoa with young people on the first night of the conference. The rest of the program for the youth & young adults included a variety of workshops on topics that many young Fijians in diaspora are facing. These workshops were: 

• 2nd and 3rd Gen Identity 
• Relationships 
• Domestic Violence 
• Health: Body, Mind, Spirit

Pulse’s very own Joyce Tangi and Ofa Foiakau shared a session about Pulse and PAELS (Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Summit), joined by two young Fijian women leaders, Matelita Vosaicake and Olivia Baro. 

In addition to the program, the youth and young adults from across Australia that attended the conference also prepared a group lakalaka, a traditional Tongan dance that many Fijian’s with Tongan links perform. 

It is important to recognise the space created for young people at this conference, from our Uniting Church Fijian Minister’s, the elders and leaders of the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery Fijian congregations, as well as the Tongan Ministers from across the Synod of NSW/ACT that joined not only with their Fijian congregations but also were active in the youth & young adult program.  

It is exciting to see the teamwork and collaboration from many of the young Fijian leaders in the lead up to and during the Fijian National Conference 2024, and we look forward to how that can and will continue post conference. With re-elected Fijian National Conference Youth Leaders, Frances Tuivaga and Ofa Foiakau, and conversations around creating a Fijian National Conference Youth Executive Team, there is an exciting future for our young Fijian diaspora community! 

It is with great hope that the young people of the Fijian National Conference who both led and participated continue to grow in leadership, gifts and faith. May the congregations that they are a part of continue to support and mentor them, nurturing their growth inside and outside of the church.