IN September this year the Government will conduct its national census. According to an interview with The Fiji Times in January this year, government statistician Epeli Waqavonovono said the census would collect information on age, sex, marital status, religion, family structure, education, employment/unemployment, types of economic activity, housing condition, toilet facilities, water supply and electricity supply.
“Small area data is particularly important for small area level planning as well as for disaster management planning,” said Mr Waqavonovono
Yesterday, in his address to a meeting of the 58 divisional superintendents and divisional stewards of the Methodist Church in Fiji, church president Reverend Dr Tevita Banivanua spoke of a different kind of census.
“For a number of conferences now, our discussions on statistics have ended with many decisions to look closely at our numbers — especially with the difference in numbers from the government statistics and our own statistics.”
Reflecting on the various census that took place in the Bible and the need to take stock of the status in the Methodist community of faith, Mr Banivanua called for a “spiritual census” to “do our stocktake of where we are, who we are, what our strengths and weakness”.
“In the Bible, a census is the numbering or registration of people generally for the purpose of taxation, military recruitment or conscription for labour. From the difference between the national census and our annual statistics, it would seem that our church census is being viewed only as for the purpose of taxation. There is some truth to this. From our statistics we determine the vakamisineri, our connexional levy — and our annual budget for the departments of the church.
“I know that in the past there have been times when circuits and divisions lower their internal statistics so that there is less levy to pay. In that sense, this internal census is seen as a symbol of oppression, or burden. But our statistics are supposed to be much more than this.”
Mr Banivanua referred to the first census in the Bible, recorded in the Book of Numbers where Moses took a count to determine those men available for military purposes — who was fighting fit.
“This is important for us to know — who is an active member — ready for the spiritual fight we face in our increasingly secular society, with crime and social ills on the rise. We need to know our active lay members, our spiritual warriors, our hands of Christ in the community.”
He challenged the leaders present to rethink their definition of an “active member”.
“We need understand to understand that being an active member is not merely someone who gives their soli and gives financially or materially.
“Much of our congregation also includes our qase — our senior citizens. Just look at us here — how many of us are in the over-60 age bracket?
“There is also the question of our children and youth, our unemployed who may not be considered active in terms of soli but are very active in terms of commitment, service, Christian life and witness.
“Our Lord Jesus Himself reminds us on two occasions that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children and must be received in a childlike (not a childish) manner — with complete trust and obedience.
“The next question asked is how well do we know the people under our care, our charge — those who are part of our shared journey?
“Do we know their gifts, their histories, their situations, their hopes and fears? Are ministers under your supervision and direction able to clearly understand the family situations, social situations and economic situations of their congregation? Are they sharing this with you?”
Just as the second biblical census was to determine the numbers of those who would serve in the tabernacle — the Levites, Mr Banivanua said there was an urgent need to recognise and capture the skills, gifts and ministry talents of ministers and lay workers and lay workers in the church.
“Here I ask the question — does the church know how many of our ministers are good with youth work, how many are good with addressing women’s issues, or with development, with music and drama, with social justice issues, with peacebuilding, with counselling, with community development, with communication?
“My answer to this question is that we do not know enough — our census is incomplete.
“We need this information with us when we make our appointments, so we can send the right person to the right place — rather than what we tend to do now — just looking at the years of service and places they have served and send them off to fill a vacant station.
“A good example of this are those we send to teach in our divisional or circuit schools; we need to be sending those who have excelled in their theological training there so they can impart their knowledge to our lay people.”
Church statistics and census are also a way to find out the needs of our people.
For example, a division with large youth population would have the focus of the Young People’s department. A division with a large membership but low number of lay preachers and lay pastors would have the focus of the Lay Pastors department.
“Just as a government would target its projects and development in the areas of need, based on the census, we as a church need to use our statistics as a way of determining where and what our programs and support need to be targeted.
At a divisional level and circuit level, this is very important so that your local programs and the energy of church workers can be directed to those who need support.
“So a census of our active members, our members’ situations, the gifts and skills of our workers and the needs of our congregation are all part and parcel of what I call a spiritual census for our church. I call on you our leaders of the flock in the 58 divisions to make this year a year of spiritual census for the church. We need to know our strength and weakness and be honest about what we find out.”
It is important to note that when Moses and Aaron took the first census — the order to count the potential soldiers was not meant to imply that Israel would take the land because of superior forces or merely the bravery of these men — they would receive the Promised Land by the hand of God. Nevertheless, they still had to fight and know what they had available to them going into battle.
“We may fail in spiritual battle because we do not take an honest inventory about where we are spiritually. We may overestimate or underestimate our spiritual strength and resources. This count of Israel wouldn’t let them do that. We must ensure that we follow this model and be honest about our strengths and weaknesses.”
While the church census provides us with our membership activity in the church, there are other statistics which determine the extent of our Christian life in society.
These other statistics show us:
* Number of Methodists in prison;
* Number of sexual assaults, gender based violence cases reported;
* Number of violent robberies, number of teenage pregnancies; and
* Number of people living under the poverty line in Fiji.
“A spiritual census would not only help the church office, or the division or circuit evaluate its work; it would help our members evaluate their own journey to Christian perfection or spiritual maturity as they reflect on how they live their Christian life personally and socially.”
Honest stocktaking is important. Honest analysis reflection is also important. Honest action is an imperative.
“Simplicity, serenity, spontaneity.”
* Reverend James Bhagwan is an ordained Methodist minister and a citizen journalist. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Methodist Church in Fiji or this newspaper.
