The South Pacific Division (SPD) has reinstated several departments as part of a restructure voted during the Division Executive Committee meetings this week.
Departments for youth, children’s ministries and family ministries—previously removed in 2021—are now formally re-established within the Division structure.
SPD president Pastor Glenn Townend said the decision reflects feedback from across the South Pacific. “People were saying in the unions, conferences and missions they liked the focus on discipleship, but they also said we were missing out on the specialties—discipleship needs to happen in families, with youth and with children,” he said. “We really want those areas to have clear focus again.”
Dr Edyta Jankiewicz, newly appointed to lead family ministries, said she is passionate about the opportunities the restructure provides. “The family is the core of disciple-making because it’s in families that people get to experience the love of Jesus,” she said. “If we have strong families, we have strong communities and we have a strong church.”
General Conference undersecretary Pastor Hensley Moorooven, who serves as liaison officer to the SPD and attended the meetings, praised the Division’s strategy. “The SPD has taken the world Church’s strategic plan, adopted it and customised it for their local needs. I have seen perfect alignment with all departments—they know where they are going and the Lord will take them there,” he said.
Looking ahead, the SPD will continue its SPD for Christ initiative, focusing each year on coordinated evangelism across a different region of the Division. “I’m most excited about the fact that, as a group, we really want to see more and better disciples all over the South Pacific,” Pastor Townend said.
