07/05/2026
With heavy hearts, we share a reflection from our President, Rev. Charissa Suli, on the passing of Rev Professor Dr Jione Havea — theologian, mentor, and faithful servant of the Church.
Jione was a son of the Pacific whose voice shaped how many across our Church read Scripture — honestly, prophetically, and through the lived realities of those too often pushed to the margins. He was a trusted companion to the UAICC - Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, a devoted colleague in the NSW/ACT Synod, and a teacher who helped generations of leaders trust that their stories matter in the life of the Church.
His loss is felt deeply — personally, culturally, and theologically.
We hold in prayer his wife Monica, his daughter Diya Lakai, the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, and all who mourn him across our Church and around the world.
In our Pacific understanding, when one of our own is called home, they are not lost — they are returned. Returned to God, to the ancestors, and to the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.
Read the President's full reflection at the link below.
Folau ā, sevāniti tōnunga 'a e 'Otua, pea ke mālōlō 'i he nonga mo e fiemālie 'a e 'Otua.
'Ofa lahi atu mo e lotu.
Link | https://uniting.church/a-reflection-for-dr-jione-havea/ |
