Military respects Methodist Church
Colonel Tikoitoga said the Government still respected the Methodist Church and had wanted to relay the cancellation of the conference to the senior church ministers in a meeting rather than through a letter.
“We still have deep respect for the Methodist Church and its population, unfortunately the intention to call up the senior executives of the church and relay the message to them personally was misinterpreted by some and considered to be something else rather than our own genuine intentions,” he said.
Col Tikoitoga also said the general public must be made aware that Government under the Public Emergency Regulations has the right to issue and also withdraw permits of any form of meeting.
“I must also state that politics is still rife in the Methodist Church. Some ministers in the church’s hierarchy still do not want to recognise the Government and the Prime Minister,” the Land Force Commander said.
“This is an indication of how entrenched politics is within the Methodist Church.
“We’ve had a few successful meetings and were able to solve a lot of issues. Some of the church’s ministers have even worked hard to try and bridge the gap between the church and Government to enable the conference to go ahead.
“It is sad that because of the few politically motivated individuals within the Methodist Church hierarchy with their personal and political agendas, they have continuously disrupted the church’s forward movement,” he added.
Colonel Tikoitoga also highlighted the need for changes in the mindset of people within the Methodist Church hierarchy and the need to also eradicate politics before Government can continue to work with the church.
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