A march was held in Suva yesterday to celebrate the arrival of Christianity into Fiji, 188 years ago.
More than 20 villagers of Tubou gathered at the Suva Flea Market to commemorate the arrival of the Methodist Church missionaries William Cross and David Cargill at Lakeba in Lau on October 12, 1835.
The secretary of the church’s Evangelism Department, the Rev Iliesa Koroi said the march was to remember the life and the service of the missionaries.
“The missionaries were met by the Tui Nayau and his warriors who had spears and war clubs with them,” Mr Koroi said.
“When they took Christianity to Lakeba, all those who had war clubs lay them down and extinguished cannibalism (boko kina na lovo), bringing light to us all.”
Mr Koroi said he wanted Fijians to know the truth.
“If it wasn’t for the arrival of Christianity, there would be no government,” he said.
“The government and the vanua can’t bring that light, only the church.
“When the word of God was preached in Fiji, it brought that light and a sense of love and unity amongst us.”
A church service was also celebrated at the Centenary Methodist Church yesterday.
