Page 28 - IB June 2020

Vanuatu Vanuatu

Elder Job Dalesa (right) presents Prime Minister Bob Loughman with new Bible Photo: Len Garae

VANUATU’S PM PUTS FAITH

AT THE CENTRE

By Len Garae because through reasoning, it was clear that something was
wrong somewhere,” said Pastor Nafuki.
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Bob Loughman prompted the con- “It became clear that an election that was organised by the
gregation of Malasitapu Presbyterian Church in the suburbs of British and French Joint Colonial Governments at the time was
Port Vila to clap with joy recently when his new government’s not a clean job and the indigenous people knew and did not
cabinet was commissioned by the Vanuatu Christian Council vote for them as they reasoned that something was not right.
(VCC). “Remember that these two colonial governments were also
The applause erupted when the PM advised the VCC Chair- superpowers in the world and they had everything from guns
man, Pastor Alain Nafuki, to write to his Minister of Finance to weapons of mass destruction, while we, the people of the
and Economic Management, Johnny Koanapo, to request that then New Hebrides, had absolutely nothing except our faith
churches also be allowed to access the Government’s stimu- that allowed us to achieve our freedom through unity. Unity is
lus package, offered to certain companies as a result of the not based on money but on reasoning that it is good to work
COVID-19 pandemic. together to serve the nation through our faith in God”.
Replying to the sermon delivered by the VCC Chairman—who The five Presbyterian Church pastors who all became Min-
emphasised unity, restoration and success—the Prime Minister isters of State in the first-ever Government of the Republic
reminded his audience of the inseparable relationship be- of Vanuatu, have all passed on except for Pastor John Sethy
tween Custom and Christianity, as stipulated by the Preamble Regenvanu. His first- born son, Ralph Regenvanu, is the Leader
of Vanuatu’s Constitution. and founder of the Land and Justice Party which had the larg-
Prime Minister Loughman said the Government is looking at est number of elected MPs in the last general election. He is
how to strengthen its partnership with the Chiefs and Church- now the Leader of Opposition.
es to take Vanuatu to the next level. Arriving at 40 years of nationhood on July 30 this year, Pas-
The VCC Chairman said God has blessed the human race tor Nafuki compared Vanuatu’s maturity to the “wokabaot”
with the power of reason, which allowed the former Presbyte- from Egypt to Canaan, involving an estimated 3,000,000
rian Church of the then-New Hebrides (in the 1970s) to relieve Israelites.
five pastors from their pastoral duties to join founding Father According to the Bible, God told Moses to divide the popula-
Walter Lini, in standing up for what was right for the country tion into 12 tribes or political parties. One of the tribes — the
in fighting for political freedom from colonial rule. Levites was assigned strictly to carry the Covenant and lead
“The Presbyterian Church chose the five pastors to stand the people to the Promised Land. While travelling, they lived
with Father Walter Lini to fight the two colonial Governments on Manna from heaven for 40 years, as they had no time to till

28 Islands Business, June 2020