Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Extracts from the sermon by Sepiuta Hala'api'api', youth coordinator for the Diocese of Polynesia, at Bishop Winston Halapua's service of installation held at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Suva, Fiji, early August.

"The voice of the young people was heard at the Electoral Synod that chose a new Archbishop for Polynesia and we came out with a strong statement. For us as young people, the choice of the new Joshua to lead the Church would directly affect the future of our rising youth generation in the mission of the Church in this 21st century.

"The Youth Statement had a wish list of qualities we thought would define a leader for our church:

"A God-fearing person, a visionary person, someone who was able to serve, an approachable person, a humble person, someone able to love all races, someone able to challenge unjust structures, a role model - not just for our young people, but for the church as a whole.

"As we presented this Youth Statement, we were aware that the person we were trying to describe probably didn't exist in real life and in some sense we were describing only Christ Jesus Himself. But as we prayed as a Church, God answered our prayers in His own will giving us His servant - Winston. "I stand here today, together with the younger generation of our Church, grateful to God for the support and confidence of our Primates, to show the Church their support for youth ministry. Whilst the focus is on God's calling of Archbishop-elect Winston to a new role as a head shepherd for the flock, it is also a breakthrough for our youth generation to feel that the Church continues to celebrate Youth ministry as an integral part of the Great Commission of our Lord.

"As believers in this 3-Tikanga Church; a multi-racial, multi-cultural society, Christ requires us to journey forward together in union with him and with one another in this mission. Christ requires of us to continue to set our eyes and minds fixed on him and not on earthly desires.

"For most of you who know our new Archbishop personally, or have had a chance to work with him, or even have had a chance to spend a five-minute conversation with him, will realise he is a man who uses words that motivate. Bishop Winston is a scholar who likes to contextualise the Bible into our own cultural context. His favourite words are Moana (ocean), and Waka (Maori for boat/canoe), Waqa in Fijian, Vaka in Tongan, Va'a in Samoan.

Every waqa must have a compass... Christ must be our compass...

"My understanding of our journey on this waqa is that we as Christians, as Anglicans, as a Diocese of Polynesia, are all part of this waka, all in the journey together. Sometimes we, the youth generation, feel like we are left out on a little dinghy or lifeboat, patiently waiting to be told when to jump on board.

"Tikanga Pasefika is blessed to have Archbishop Winston as the captain of our vaka, and the church is also blessed to have Bishop Apimeleki and Bishop Gabriel as the co-captains, and each of us as members of the crew. There are two most important aspects of this va'a and journey we are in:

• Every waqa must have a compass - a direction. In order for our canoe to move in the right direction, Christ must be our compass and our Captain Winston must faithfully continue to set his eyes on Christ to guide us in the direction Christ wants us to follow.
• There is a saying - It's the rough seas that make the sailor skilful. What this means is that life is all about encountering challenges and hardships. It's not plain smooth sailing. As we journey on in this vaka, we will definitely encounter rough seas, rough tides, stormy weather, tsunamis, in the form of challenges and struggles, hardships and pain. But whilst the sea will be full of these, we as Christians must also remember that the moana also carries the fish - and there are lots and lots of fish out there in the open sea that need to be caught souls that need to be won."