A visit by The Salvation Army’s international leader General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton to Fiji has been cancelled and commissioning meetings in Fiji postponed due to the growing threat of a military coup. A Salvation Army youth conference scheduled to take place in Suva, Fiji, in January 2007 has also been postponed.
The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton, were scheduled to attend commissioning events in Fiji from 30 November to 4 December in the company of Commissioners Garth and Mel McKenzie (territorial leaders).
The New Zealand government issued a travel advisory cautioning against non-essential travel to Fiji. Concern for the safety of the Army’s leaders was paramount and the territory’s leadership, in consultation with Fiji’s divisional leaders and the General, reached the conclusion that it was unwise for senior Salvation Army leadership to travel to Fiji at this time.
The commissioning and ordination of eight Heralds of the Good News cadets (seven from Fiji and one from Tonga) from the School for Officer Training in Fiji has been postponed. Various postponement options are being explored. The eventual date will depend on how the situation unfolds in Fiji.
General Clifton and Commissioner Clifton will continue with plans to visit Wellington for the ordination and commissioning of 11 New Zealand Salvation Army officers-including their daughter and son-in-law, Cadets Jenny and Marcus Collings-over the weekend of 8-10 December.
The difficult decision has also been made that Kaivata, a tri-territorial youth conference scheduled to be held in Suva over 18-22 January 2007, will be postponed for 12 months until January 2008. The conference theme was ‘Many peoples, one Spirit’ and over 1000 delegates from New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Australia and as far away as Canada and the United States had registered. All shared a sense of excitement and anticipation about how God would use their time together, but with uncertainty over the security of delegates it would have been unwise to continue with plans for Kaivata 2007.
Major Lyndon Buckingham (territorial youth secretary) says that while disappointed, the team would continue to plan and build enthusiasm for what they believe will be an even better event in 2008-one with far-reaching spiritual significance for the South Pacific.
Commissioner Garth McKenzie (territorial commander) has asked New Zealand and Tonga Salvationists to pray for Fijian Salvationists and the four New Zealand officers who also serve there. He says, ‘We pray for Salvationists in Fiji and for their country with a sense of great love and solidarity, knowing the turmoil Fiji faces at this time will have significant economic and social impact. May God guide the decision-makers and peace-makers of Fiji.’