The consumption of kava is still an issue that needs to be addressed seriously within the Methodist Church, its president said yesterday while opening the Bose Ko Viti (annual conference) at the Centenary Church in Suva.

This concern was mainly focused within the church minister’s quarters and church halls.

“We had agreed in the Bose Ko Viti in 2013, that yaqona consumption should end at 10 pm in the two venues mentioned. Let’s not use tradition as an excuse,” Reverend Epineri Vakadewavosa said.

In 2014, the church had also agreed that there would be no kava consumption on Sundays until the evening service had ended.

Reverend Vakadewavosa then urged the Bose Ko Viti delegates to keep Sunday holy and asked them to refrain from abusing the consumption of kava.

He also acknowledged how many divisions had stopped the consumption of kava at the residence of some church minister.

Address poverty

Reverend Vakadewavosa also urged the delegates to continue addressing the issue of poverty in their various divisions.

He said the church, in the respective divisions, was blessed with land resources that could be used for financial development.

He was pleased to announce that Government had agreed to finalise the registration of land offered to the Methodist Church.

The land registration department, he said would discuss more on the matter during the conference and urged the delegates to venture into developments for possible financial gains.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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