The crew on the Fijian vaka, Uto Ni Alo includes students from the Diocese of Polynesia's St John the Baptist College, members of the dioceses of Polynesia and Wellington, and Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa.  

Climate Commissioner for the Anglican Church in Aoteaora, New Zealand and Polynesia, Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi will join the crew for the final leg, from Leleuvia Island to Suva. He says the voyage – and its message about the ocean – has been warmly received in every parish it has visited. 

“The idea is to place the ocean back into the centre of our theology and of our mindset, and to not look at the ocean as a barrier or a threat. The ocean is life giving; it gives us hope for our people and for our future.” 

“We are called not merely to be stewards of God’s creation, but really to be guardians of it – calling people to respect, and care for the ocean.” 

Sail for Hope is a voyage of cooperation between Tikanga. The joint mission raises climate awareness, reconnects traditional Pacific knowledge, and recentres environmental theology. 

The Diocese of Polynesia – and also the entire province – is 80 percent ocean, reinforcing why environmental discussions need to be centred on the water.   

That focus is shared across Oceania. At a recent Fono in Vanuatu, climate justice was a central point, with members committing to call on the Anglican Communion to support Vanuatu’s international legal action on climate change. 

Fe'iloakitau says the Fono’s theme, One God, One Ocean, One People, reflects a relationship between God, the ocean and the people that must be held in harmony. 

“So, if you understand it that way, then it’s all the more important for us as a church to be promoting the issue of oceans and pushing the Anglican Communion to take up the issue as well.” 

Oceans will be a key issue for Oceania representatives at next month’s Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Momentum is building across regions with Gabriel Souza, a Mission to Seafarers chaplain from Brazil’s Diocese of Amazonia, joining the voyage in Savusavu – reflecting a growing network of indigenous-led Anglican climate action.  

“We’ve touched on something. We’ve hit an interesting spot with regards to cross-diocesan partnerships,” Tevi says. “I know Archbishop Don [Tamihere] is quite keen to continue to work with Archbishop Marinez Bassotto on the development of indigenous theologies with regards to the Anglican Communion.” 

Shortly before joining the crew in Fiji, Fe'iloakitau said "Sail for Hope" was on track to exceed its expected reach of 1400 people, with around 1,000 people already engaged before the crew left Lebuka Parish for Suva. 

“The crew is having a blast! They are being fed left, right and centre by the parishes, and the communities are happy to receive them. The crew is overwhelmed by the hospitality shown to Uto Ni Alo. 

“At the same time, the crew is sending out the message about the importance of the ocean. We have reached those communities we had intended to, and they themselves have been quite overwhelmed by that messaging.” 

Sail for Hope will move on to Samoa in June, Tonga in August, coinciding with Te Hīnota Whānui General Synod and Aotearoa New Zealand later in the year.