THE Church of Melanesia’s Bishop Patterson Theological College at Tabalia/Kohimarama was packed over the weekend with people from North West Guadalcanal, Savo and Honiara.
The three day gathering kicked off on Friday until Sunday to witness the admission of a good number of Novices and Priests.
Relatives of those who were admitted joined the congregation at Kohimarama in a Church service led by the ArchBishop David Vunagi.
Novices are cadets who are admitted to become Melanesian Brothers.
After training for three years, a Novice is admitted as a brother by the Archbishop of Melanesia in his capacity as Father of the Brotherhood.
The day ended with feasting and other entertainment activities before the large gathering was dispersed late in the afternoon.
The Melanesian Brotherhood was formed in 1925 by Ini Kopuria, a policeman from Maravovo, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
He and the Bishop of Melanesia, the Right Reverend John Manwaring Steward, realised Ini’s dream by forming a band of brothers (known in the Mota language as ‘Ira Reta Tasiu’) to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the non-Christian areas of Melanesia.
The Brothers known here as Tasiu’s were responsible for the evangelisation of large areas of Guadalcanal, Malaita, Temotu, and other areas in the Solomons, for Big Bay and other places in Vanuatu, and the Popondetta area of Papua New Guinea.
This admissions usually takes place on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Simon & St. Jude (28 October) at one of the three regional headquarters.
Tabalia is the place given by Ini Kopuria on northwest Guadalcanal which hosts the Theological College.
By JOHN TOKI
