Photo courtesy the Methodist Church in Britain
This article originally appeared at The Fiji Times Online.
By Reijeli Robanakadavu
Saturday, July 08, 2017
TEARS flowed as 50 United Kingdom Fijian Methodist Fellowship mass choir members from Northern Ireland, Scotland and England sang at the Methodist Church of Great Britain Conference in Birmingham last Sunday.
[Audio Recording – see June 25, 2017 Podcast entitled “Fijian Fellowship Choir”]
[Video Recording near 1:18:25]
It was the first time for a Fijian choir to sing Fijian hymns and anthems at the conference of more than 500 ministers, deacons, families and friends to witness the solemn occasion.
Methodist Church of Great Britain newly-elected president Reverend Loraine Mellor introduced the choir before they sang hymns during the offering. “The Fijian Methodist Fellowship has a very special place in my heart and I am so happy seeing and listening to them sing today. I have been working with them for the past few years. They had invited me to their conference in Plymouth earlier this year and it was such a great honour. I had invited them to sing at the conference,” she said.
Speaking to the choir members before they went into the auditorium to perform, Unconfirmed Reverend Nimilote Rokotoro thanked the Lord for this important day.
He thanked the members who had flown from Northern Ireland and driven hours from around the UK and Scotland to attend.
Chaplain Reverend Jimione Kaci said this was a milestone for the Fijian fellowship’s walk of faith in the UK.
“There have been a lot of things we have faced along the way for the past few years but we have been steadfast in our faith and we thank the Lord for the plans that He has for the Fijian fellowship,” he said.
Fijian Methodist United Kingdom Divisional choirmaster Tomasi Kanailagi said the two circuits from the south and north of England conducted their combined choir practice for the past two months.