Welcome to the Oceania Laca!

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka!

Ni sa Bula Vinaka! Talofa lava!

Greetings in the name of our Triune God! Welcome to the Oceania Laca newsletter of the Pacific Theological College (PTC). I am delighted and honoured as leader of the college to introduce the Oceania Laca newsletter.

This revives the college newsletter which has lapsed since 2012.

Deep within the Moana, where our ancestors used to navigate freely without the imposed colonial imaginary boundaries, they used to cross islands and peoples, bracing the winds and currents to share their stories, wisdom, cultures, languages, and values. Here Oceania Laca was born. It was born to navigate, to move beyond, to communicate, to link, and to take us to new shores of possibilities, to create new friendships, relationships, and a new vision. Its very existence promotes continual discovery and newness of life. PTC hopes that the Oceania Laca newsletter will do the same.

There are three overall aims:

(1) To provide a platform for the PTC community to tell its story and to invite our ocean of readers to come onboard the PTC vaka by going beyond the newsletter literary presentation and then to make sense of the academic, pastoral, spiritual, historical, ethnic, familial, and ecumenical diverse journeys that make up our story. In the newsletter, the PTC story will be told through a combination of words, issues, pictures, poetry, art, designs, symbolism, colours, and even through blank spaces! Readers will also be given a sneak peek into the vision of the college and how such vision will impact our journey to discover new possibilities.

(2) To attract and invite to the PTC vaka new faces and friendships, new stories, and new experiences of interested parties from around the world including potential candidates who want to discover PTC programmes and life. The newsletter will be able to offer space for new relationships to develop, nurture and mutually connect with the PTC community.

(3) To strengthen the PTC communication culture and thus constantly link and reconnect the college to its member churches, overseas partners, families, regional grassroots communities, and the international community. In the new PTC vision, communication is critical, not only for transparency and accountability, but also for possibilities of progress and renewal. We intend to make the Oceania Laca a regular publication for the regional and the international community. This will keep all in touch with news and developments of our journey, and for the college itself it will capture and benefit from the diverse richness of the many shores as we cross interdenominational, intercultural, and interfaith seas.

I now invite you into the PTC vaka, relax and unwind as you become part of our story, and learn more of our journey as the Oceania Laca takes us beyond.

Enjoy!

Rev. Dr Upolu Luma Vaai

PRINCIPAL