IRCA Oceania 2025
2025-05-26 08:00 - 2025-05-30 17:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Nadi, Nadi, Fiji
Listening to One Another

Sharing Struggles and Joy as Rural Churches in Oceania

Calling all people with an interest in the church and things rural …….You may be :-

A farmer

A teacher in a small town

An employee of Landcare

A person with an enthusiasm for making church happen in smaller centres

IRCA Oceania 2025

Matthew 11:15 Let anyone with ears listen!

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Namoli Methodist Church

Lautoka, Fiji

Monday 26 May to Friday 30 May 2025

Monday 26 May 2025 – Arrival and Welcome LOTU,

Tuesday 27 May – Conference

Wednesday 28 May – Conference,

Thursday 29 May – Local Church, Community Visit, Farewell LOTU and DINNER

Friday 30 May – Departure

There may be options for those who want to stay for the weekend to visit nearby areas, attend worship with a local congregation (offers to preach will be welcome), or visit other parts of Fiji.

Guest Speakers

Rev Dr Semesi Turagavou, President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma

Rev James Bhagwan, General Secretary – Pacific Conference of Churches Secretariat

Programme

The programme will focus on Veitalanoa – hearing stories from around the region, prioritising Pacific Stories and with time for input from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Contributions will include from people working with, and those directly impacted by, issues like Climate Change, Economic Colonisation and Self-determination, Seasonal Workers to Australia and New Zealand, the incursion into Fiji of international drug cartels, modern day slavery, and safety and well-being of women and families.

Subverting the Way of the World: The Oblique Radicalism of Jesus of Nazareth
2025-05-27 17:15 - 18:30 | Archway 4 Lecture Theatre, Archway Lecture Theatre Complex, Dunedin North, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
In this lecture, Professor Gregory examines the radical teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and how they challenged the socio-political norms of the time. He discusses the subversive aspects of Jesus’ message and their implications for contemporary understandings of social justice.

Professor Brad Gregory is the Henkels Family College Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. He is the author of several books including Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World; The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society; and Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe. He is currently working on a major project about the relationship between Western Christianity and the long-term formation of our current global environmental realities, the working title of which is The Way of the World: Power, Wealth, and Civilization from the Last Ice Age to the Anthropocene.

The event will be livestreamed – join the livestream by clicking the “Watch” button below.

Watch

Accommodating the Way of the World: Making Room for Mammon, Making Peace with Rome
2025-05-28 17:15 - 18:30 | Archway 4 Lecture Theatre, Archway Lecture Theatre Complex, Dunedin North, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Professor Gregory explores the historical interactions between religious movements and political powers, focusing on how accommodations were made with economic and imperial forces. This lecture provides insights into the complexities of religious and political compromises.

Professor Brad Gregory is the Henkels Family College Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. He is the author of several books including Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World; The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society; and Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe. He is currently working on a major project about the relationship between Western Christianity and the long-term formation of our current global environmental realities, the working title of which is The Way of the World: Power, Wealth, and Civilization from the Last Ice Age to the Anthropocene.

The event will be livestreamed – join the livestream by clicking the “Watch” button below.

Watch

Lead Worship: First Testament - Prophets
2025-05-28 19:30 - 20:30 | Online – Zoom Meeting
Topic: First Testament – Prophets(Part of the Methodist Network Lead Worship Series)

📅 Session 1: Lecture

Date: Tuesday, 28 May 2025

Time: 07:30pm

Presenter: Rev Dr Lynne Wall

📅 Session 2: Discussion

Date: Wednesday, 04 June 2025

Time: 07:30PM

Facilitators: Ngaire Southon and/or Viv Whimster

📖 About this session:This is the third session in a multi-part exploration of the First Testament led by Rev Dr Lynne Wall. The lecture will introduce key themes and contexts, and explore the key issues arising from the prophets – the the prophetic utterances of the former and latter prophets as recorded in the First Testament. The following week’s discussion session, facilitated by Ngaire Southon and/or Viv Whimster, will provide an opportunity to reflect, ask questions, and explore applications for worship leadership.

💻 Format: Online via Zoom (click the button to join the meeting)🎯 Who should attend? Open to all worship leaders looking to deepen their biblical knowledge.

Extending the Way of the World: Western Christianity from Constantine to the Anthropocene
2025-05-29 17:15 - 18:30 | Archway 4 Lecture Theatre, Archway Lecture Theatre Complex, Dunedin North, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
In the final lecture of the series, Professor Gregory traces the evolution of Western Christianity from the era of Constantine to the present Anthropocene epoch. He analyses how religious developments have influenced and been influenced by broader societal and environmental changes.

Professor Brad Gregory is the Henkels Family College Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. He is the author of several books including Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World; The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society; and Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe. He is currently working on a major project about the relationship between Western Christianity and the long-term formation of our current global environmental realities, the working title of which is The Way of the World: Power, Wealth, and Civilization from the Last Ice Age to the Anthropocene.

The event will be livestreamed – join the livestream by clicking the “Watch” button below.

Watch

Learning from Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Insights
2025-05-30 07:00 - 08:00 | Online – Zoom Webinar
with Sarah Bentley Allred, Project Director, Roots & Wings, and Jodi Belcher, Resource Developer, Roots & Wings

In spring 2025, Roots & Wings staff completed an extensive literature review on the topic of intergenerational formation, worship, and children’s spirituality. Join this FREE webinar to hear what insights were gained and get to know the leaders of this newest Lifelong Learning program.

Our Future Together
2025-05-31 09:00 - 2025-06-02 14:00 | Onehunga Co-operating Church, Cnr Grey Str and Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland, 1061, New Zealand
UCANZ Biennial Forum
