Pacific Anglican Primates and theological educators met for a three-day intensive talanoa this week that took a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities for Indigenous and Pacific-led Anglican theological education in Oceania.

The Pacific Anglican Primates’ Fono on theological education ran in Suva, Fiji over 6-7 August, beginning with a traditional Fijian ceremonial welcome at Archbishop Sione Ului’lakepa’s residence, led by students of St John the Baptist Theological College and their families.

Primates Archbishop Leonard Dawea, Archbishop Geoffrey Smith and Archbishop Justin Duckworth were welcomed alongside members of St John’s College Trust Board and Anglican Theological College Principals from the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Archbishop Justin Duckworth was moved by the “outstanding” ceremonial welcome, and pleased to attend his first Fono as a Primate of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

“It’s been great to have a hui focused on Indigenous education and for that to be the driving voice. It’s been a privilege to be in the room.” said Archbishop Justin.

Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa welcomed the Fono to the Moana Anglican Services and Training (MAST) centre on Wednesday for the opening Eucharist where St John the Baptist College Principal Rev Liliani Havili preached on how Jesus’ taught with authority and without a Western university education, by using the way his elders taught.

Archbishop Emeritus Philip Richardson launched the Fono with a presentation on restorative education at Te Whare Hononga, the Ngāti Te Whiti and Anglican centre of learning alongside Meri Tapu, Taranaki Cathedral.

“The Church must play its part in addressing colonialism and education is the key,” said Archbishop Philip. “Everybody who trains in my diocese has to know about our colonial history, to know about intergenerational trauma, to have fluency in Te Reo Māori and a commitment to restoration and reconciliation.”

Latin American Theologian, Prof Paolo Ueti, who joined the Fono from USPG and the Anglican Alliance, asked Fono members to consider who they empower or silence in the theology that they teach.

“We need to make sure that the way we theologically educate people and teach them to read scripture is not educating them to be domesticated or silenced.” He said.

Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa agreed theological study should help people to develop their voice and stand up for human rights.

“We need theological education that brings justice, that brings healing to relationships: to God, to each other and all that surrounds us.”

Archbsihop Sione spoke too of how Polynesia’s Anglican clergy are constantly working to translate their theology back and forth between cultures and languages. He explained how St John’s students learn to use Pacific learning modes to translate their knowledge into forms that connect well with their people, for example, the Tongan form of talanoa known as usu’usu.

 “Usu’usu is a metaphorical way of doing talanoa that engages humour and real life experience, but avoids being confrontational. It encourages people to consider a hard question for them, while the humour keeps them comfortable – until the dawn breaks – and then they understand – but that might be hours, or even days later.”

Archbishop Sione and Fe’iloakitau Kaho Tevi shared how the Diocese of Polynesia had responded to the reality of cyclones and rising seas by building climate resilience into the heart of clergy training.

“We developed training in disaster preparedness and resilience training, because we had to – so that our people wouldn’t die.” said Fe’iloakitau.

But to integrate that training the Diocese was frustrated they had to apply for course approval from outside the Church, which came from the University of the South Pacific and TAFE Australia.

Rev Dr Hirini Kaa encouraged the Fono members to be courageous and radical in their reach for solutions to cases like that.

“Should we be thinking about accrediting our own Anglican Indigenous and Pacific centred theology courses? How long would it take? Could we be doing that in ten years, five years? What would it take to do that?” he asked.

Hirini warned there are dangers in going through Western institutions for validation, especially when the friction in that process can wear Indigenous knowledge thin.

Te Rau Theological College Tumuaki Ven Michael Tamihere shared the same concerns, saying that he doesn’t look to university methods to find out what he needs to know.

“My kaumatua, my aunties, they have established Indigenous methodologies that I take with me when I go in.”

Hirini said that while Indigenous and Pacific theologians might treasure the Western canon and own it as part of their Anglican whakapapa, they need to protect the integrity of Indigenous knowledge.

“We have to be careful to retain our own voice. When we look to Western theology, the gravity of that conversation is like Jupiter, the weight of it is just so heavy.”

Dr Kaa shared how Māori Anglican theologians are now looking across the Communion for theological partners who are willing to enter high trust, life giving relationships.

Right now, Archbishop Don Tamihere is in conversation with Indigenous Episcopalians in Navajoland, with Ming Hua Anglican Theological College in Hong Kong and with St Andrew’s Theological College in the Philippines, which is a large-scale College led by Indigenous Igorot people.

Principal of Bishop Patteson Theological College, Rev James Fakafu, leads ministry formation and Bachelor of Theology programmes across several centres in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. While much of the talanoa covered well-known ground for him, he picked up on a change of mood in the gathering.

"The word I would use to sum it up is 'intentionality'. There was an intention to move beyond rhetoric and talking points to do something about it. It challenged me to re-engage in choosing the kind of framework that we need, it's not just revising curriculum, but intentionally redefining what it means to be church."

Rev James said that students are already doing Indigenous theology, but through a very academic approach, using the thesis method of assessment and focused on getting a qualification. 

"But we could actually be doing theology to make a meaningful response for us on issues like climate and gender." he said.

Archbishop Julio Murray of Panama joined the talanoa for the final day of the Fono, and reflected that its conversations offer the Church an opportunity to completely revisit theological education.

“If we can remember and we can restore [what was lost], then we can also reimagine.”

“When we talk about Indigenous spirituality it’s not just spiritual hocus pocus, it's the spirituality of being related to one another in Christ – that’s what we are working towards. Not only that. We are reimagining what the Kingdom of God looks like from that perspective.”

Other issues raised at the Fono included the power of AI technology to gather digital resources for Indigenous and Pacific-centred theology, and the question of whether the Pacific Anglican provinces might now begin work toward a Centre of Excellence in Theological Education, or to a constellation of “Centres of Excellence” across the region, with each place contributing from its strengths.

A communiqué from the Fono on theological education will be published soon.