11 Aug 2014

Fiji's Methodists celebrate 50 years

11:06 am on 11 August 2014

Fiji's largest church is planning its biggest conference in years, and says it doesn't expect to have the same kind of run-ins with the government that have plagued previous gatherings.

This week marks 50 years since the Methodist church of Fiji became a self-governing conference, and it is planning a week of celebrations before its annual conference, which in past years has had severe restrictions imposed on it.

But a spokesperson for the church, James Bhagwan, says he doesn't expect any such restrictions this year, and hopes the state and the church will move forward together.

"Now that we have a constitution in place, the public emergency regulations have been lifted and so we are anticipating no problems in terms of holding our event and we have been putting our applications in for permits and things like that, and recognising the spirit in which we are trying to do things."

James Bhagwan says the jubilee will be an opportunity to reflect on the church's successes and failures, and to set a new direction.