Pray with Fiji, July 5, 2026
Lectionary Selection: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Prayers for Fiji
God of Creation, we give thanks for the ministry of Pasifika Communities University and for the Pasifika Philosophies Course that is helping people rediscover wisdom rooted in community, relationship, and care for creation.
We thank you for the students in the Pasifika Philosophies program and throughout the University. As they learn, teach, research, and lead, deepen their understanding of the gifts you have placed within their cultures and communities. Reveal your wisdom through the knowledge, traditions, and experiences of Pacific peoples, and inspire new generations to treasure and carry them forward.
Bless the faculty, staff, students, and community partners of PCU. Grant wisdom to those shaping this new university and courage to those working to build a future grounded in justice, dignity, and the flourishing of all life.
God of the oceans and islands, of ancestors and future generations, we pray for the peoples of Fiji and the Pacific as they face the challenges of climate change, economic uncertainty, and social change. In times of burden and uncertainty, renew their strength and hope.
Strengthen the partnership between Global Ministries and Pasifika Communities University. May our shared witness continue to foster learning, friendship, and mutual transformation, so that together we may seek the well-being of communities and the fullness of life you desire for all people. Amen.
Mission Moment from Fiji
Last year, Adi Lilyninatewa (Lily) Wainiu Lagilagi joined the Pasifika Philosophies Course at Pasifika Communities University (PCU) in Suva, Fiji. As Acting Finance Manager and leader of the university’s Tautai Leadership Academy, she came seeking a deeper understanding not only of the community around her but also of her own Pasifika background.
The course Toloa, or participants, are scholars, professionals, church leaders, and community practitioners from across the Pacific. They are gathered to explore Pasifika philosophies, indigenous knowledge and spirituality, leadership, ethics, and development through what PCU calls a “whole of life” approach. Participants learn not only in classrooms but also through engagement with communities, cultural practitioners, and regional leaders.
For Lily Wainiu, the experience was transformative. She said the course allowed her “to expand my knowledge, curiosity about Pasifika Philosophies and especially its influence on Leadership.” The learning was immediately relevant to her work, as the course material was “vital in the design of the leadership academy, particularly being rooted in Pasifika Philosophies and Ethics.” She carried the weight of a colonial education that had taught her to see her own culture as “less than,” a relic of the past. For generations, British rule had fragmented the vanua, dismissed spirituality, and measured Fijian worth by Western economics. This course promised something different. It was not about studying Pasifika people; it was about decolonizing from within and transforming leaders suitable for such a time as this, where the Western form of leadership no longer works.
The impact reached beyond her professional responsibilities. Lily reflected, “Personally, I have been disconnected from most of my traditions and cultures. I now feel the need to strengthen this for me and for my children.”
This year’s course comes at an exciting time. Formerly known as Pacific Theological College, the theological institution expanded its curriculum to become Pasifika Communities University, reflecting its growing commitment to a broader education grounded in the wisdom, values, and aspirations of Pacific peoples. Through programs like the Pasifika Philosophies Course, PCU is helping nurture leaders who can address today’s challenges while remaining rooted in the relationships, cultures, and spiritual traditions that have sustained Pacific communities for generations. In a world that often prizes expertise detached from community, the university is affirming that wisdom is also found in the knowledge carried by peoples, cultures, and lived experience.
Looking ahead, Lily hopes to pursue doctoral studies focused on Indigenous Fijian counting and accounting systems and their role in ecological stewardship. As an accountant, she would like to empower her people with alternative metrics beyond monetary values, and grounded in relationship, reciprocity, and respect. Thus redefining engagement with indigenous wisdom that can shape the future of the Pacific.
Partners in Fiji
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