Fiji's Pacific Theological College will celebrate 50 years of quality theological education this Friday (6 March) at its campus in Vuya Road, Suva.

PTC, which began in 1965 and is the oldest degree-granting institution in Fiji, will host a day of celebrations with hundreds of local and overseas guests headed by the President of Fiji, Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.

"That such esteemed guests are coming from afar is a recognition of the leadership PTC has had in Pacific theological education," says PTC’s Principal, Rev Prof Feleterika Uili Nokise.

The day will begin at 8am with a chapel service where four honorary doctorates will be conferred on long-time supporters of the college. This is only the second time honorary doctorates have been granted by PTC.

Other dignitaries will include partners from Germany and around the Pacific, including representatives from: 

• Bread for the World (Germany)
• Uniting World (Australia)
• World Council of Churches, Oceania

The afternoon will feature greetings from international guests and performances from cultural groups among the student body, including Rotuma, Tuvalu, Tonga, Maohi Nui, Kiribati, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Samoa.

Professor Nokise says PTC is not only celebrating the past but also the future.

"The Pacific Theological College has a proud tradition of quality theological education spanning half a century,” he says.

“We are working to ensure that we continue to be the leading theological institution in the region." 

In the evening Rev Dr Jovili Meo, a former Principal of PTC, will launch a book of reflections on 50 years of the college.

Edited by the Professor Nokise and the Academic Dean, Professor Holger, this collection of 10 essays offers a rich diversity of reminiscences, reflections and insights by scholars from the region and beyond. 

Details of the book are:

• Nokise, Feleterika, and Holger Szesnat, eds. 2015. Oceanic Voyages in Theology and Theological Education: Reflections and Reminiscences in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Pacific Theological College. Suva, Fiji Islands: Pacific Theological College. iv+168pp. Price: F$10. ISBN-13: 978-982-348-025-1.