Rev Professor Upolu Luma Vaai, delivered the prestigious Fernley Hartley Lecture at the Wesley Memorial Church in Oxford

This evening, the Principal of the College, Rev Professor Upolu Luma Vaai, delivered the prestigious Fernley Hartley Lecture at the Wesley Memorial Church in Oxford, attended by many Methodist scholars from around the world who are also attending the Oxford Methodist Institute this week, and by the public. The Principal, with the title “Stop categorizing us as vulnerable victims: Methodism, Relationality, and Ecological Justice in Pasifika” spoke of the inherent injustices and racism in the neoliberal development model that is continuing to marginalize Pasifika communities. A narrative that also comes with the “saviour model” based on vulnerability. He reflected on the importance of John Wesley’s theology of creation but also challenged, from a Pasifika relational perspective, the people called Methodists,. in particular those in the global north, of the importance of a prophetic reimagination of Methodism for the sake of relevance in addressing the ecological crisis of our time. He concluded his lecture by reflecting on the vision of the Pasifika churches and the new regional Pasifika Communities University. He thanked the organizers for the honour of being selected to deliver the lecture.