Pacific Anglican leaders and theological educators will gather this week for a special Fono to converse on future directions in theological education and ministry leadership formation in the region’s Anglican churches.

The Fono gathers the six Primates of the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kanaky New Caledonia, Australia, Aotearoa, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to consider how to strengthen high quality ministry training embedded in the context of the Pacific countries and cultures, with a strong emphasis on local Indigenous knowledge, ways of learning and contextualising the Gospel.

Since 2018 the Primates of the Pacific Provinces of the Anglican Communion have met to share the challenges and opportunities of ministry and mission across their churches, and each time theological education has come through as a priority for cooperation, as well as a place where local values and cultural contexts need to lead.

Meeting in early July 2024, Archbishop Sione Uluilakepa and Archbishop Don Tamihere signalled their shared for vision for theological education led by Indigenous knowledge and drawing on the values and practices of Pacific peoples.

They reflected on the principles they will bring to their work in theological education going forward.

“We celebrate our mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our people over the generations and our Anglican expression of faith in this sea of islands….

“We celebrate the centrality of Mātauranga (indigenous knowledge systems) in mission…[and] affirm our Moana and Māori pedagogical understanding of the importance of praxis – lifegiving practices underpinned by manaakitanga.

“We affirm the importance of our global indigenous networks as spaces of healing and solidarity…[and..we invite our friends and relatives to be a part of our educational life at all levels as we have been welcomed into theirs.”

This week former Primate, now Bishop of Taranaki Archbishop Philip Richardson will share his reflections and insights on previous Fono conversations as part of the meeting’s deliberations on the future of theological education.

“Our diverse centres of theological education and ministry formation in Oceania have real potential to work collaboratively; allowing each to contribute from their particular areas of expertise into a comprehensive educational offering, rooted in indigenous ways of knowing and in responding to the particular challenges of our context.” He said today. 

This week’s Fono will discuss the concept of a ‘Centre of Theological Excellence’ to be situated in the Diocese of Polynesia.  The concept proposes excellence of theological education in a particular field of interest that is founded of Indigenous and peoples centred views as well as a Moana perspective of theological education.  This centre  would serve vital educational needs for leadership training in the wider Pacific Anglican Church.