Migration driving decline in Methodist Church membership

For Reverend Anil Reuben, migration has become more than a national issue — it is a challenge felt inside the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma.

Speaking after his re-election as the church's deputy general secretary in Suva yesterday during the Church’s 2026 Annual Conference, Rev Reuben said migration was one of the reasons behind the decline in church membership in recent years.

Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma deputy general secretary Rev Anil Reuben.

Photo: Ronald Kumar

The veteran church leader, who has spent about 50 years serving the Methodist Church, said the decline reflected wider changes affecting communities across Fiji.

“One decline reason is migration,” Rev Reuben said, identifying the movement of people overseas as one of the factors contributing to the reduction in membership.

“Migration has increasingly separated families and communities, with members who leave Fiji also leaving behind the congregations where they once worshipped.”

For the Methodist Church, this means the impact of migration is not only measured in people leaving the country, but also in the loss of members from local churches.

The church has faced other major disruptions.

Rev Reuben said the coronavirus pandemic also caused significant disruption to church life, including restrictions that prevented some people from attending services. Some members did not return after the restrictions were lifted.

Despite those challenges, Rev Reuben said there was now a sign of recovery. Church membership has increased from 186,000 to 190,000 this year, a gain of about 4,000 members.

But the increase comes as the church continues to confront the reality of migration and changing communities.

For Rev Reuben, who is approaching the church’s retirement age of 70, the remaining period of his service is focused on continuing the church’s mission and reaching people with its message.

He said one of the church’s major challenges now was reaching out to people with the gospel and the “good news”.

For the Methodist Church, migration is already being felt in its membership numbers. While the latest growth offers encouragement, the continued movement of Fijians overseas remains a challenge for a church seeking to keep its congregations connected and growing.

Feedback: sosiveta.korobiau@fijisun.com.fj