By Netani Rika
THE Assistant General Secretary of Fiji’s Methodist Church, Reverend Jeremaia Waqainabete, will be buried on Friday.
Waqainabete, 60, died early on Saturday after a short illness.
Known for his humility and kindness, Waqainabete was instrumental in running a ministry for young people at the weekend.
The Coffee Ministry ensured that people returning from nightclubs could receive a warm drink and some food on the way home.
This was to help them sober up and ensure their safety.
Waqainabete has been described as deeply intellectual and a liberal theologian.
Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan described Waqainabete as a champion for the less fortunate.
“He was a champion for peace, a champion for equal rights, a champion for those with minority rights, he was a champion for the less fortunate and those deprived of their human rights but above all he was a champion for God,” Bhagwan said.
Waqainabete was educated at Davuilevu Theological College and the University of Birmingham.
He is survived by his wife, Adi Vanii, and three daughters.
The official funeral gathering will begin tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Jubilee Hall, Toorak in the capital.
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