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In a special ceremony that included prayers, hymns, symbolic acts, and prophetic calls, those gathered were also part of the ongoing Pacific Church Leaders’ Meeting organized by the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) from 13 to 17 April.
Togoru is experiencing severe, rapid coastal erosion, with the sea swallowing roughly 1.3 to 1.5 meters of land annually. Rising sea levels are submerging homes, plantations, and burial grounds, forcing residents to prepare for relocation as traditional seawalls fail. The village is now considered a frontline for climate change impact.
Rev. James Bhagwan, PCC general secretary, described Togoru as a mix of settlers and Indigenous people who have formed a community over more than a century. “We are gathered here because this is one of the most vulnerable communities in Fiji in the context of climate change,” he said. “When a delegation of the World Council of Churches visited this community only in 2020 there was more land for our team to visit and take photos, and now we can see this active moment of climate change is a reality in a community that is doubly vulnerable because they are non-Indigenous in the context of the government, and so face challenges when it comes to relocation.”
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Togoru community representative Marama Dunn addresses the participants of the ceremony.
Marcelo Schneider
Community representatives—father and daughter Barney Dunn and Marama Dunn—offered a deeply personal perspective on how climate change has shaken people’s lives.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed how meaningful it was to be with people affected by climate challenges. “It is so meaningful to be with people, to pray with them, to walk with them, to listen to them, and to know how they are being affected by the climate catastrophe,” he said. “In this context, we feel so delighted that we as the World Council of Churches can not only be in solidarity but also be able to learn from their lived experiences.”
Dr Sivendra Michael, Fiji’s permanent secretary for Environment and Climate Change, acknowledged the voices of lament and hope, and the voices of communities that continue to carry the real burden of environmental change.
“What has been shared here today is not new to us,” said Michael. “The reality is already being lived across Fiji and the Pacific.”
Michael further noted that climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation are not abstract issues. “They are affecting our food systems, our water sources, our coastlines, and our livelihoods,” said Michael. “They are placing real pressure on our people, particularly those most vulnerable.”
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Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary, and Dr Sivendra Michael, Fiji’s permanent secretary for Environment and Climate Change.
Marcelo Schneider/WCC
Those gathered read “A Call to Action, A Call to Hope,” that invited people to join a prophetic uprising.
“We invite you to bring your dreams, your voice, and your actions to bear on this groaning world,” read the call. “Together, in love, we speak truth and care for creation. Together, in faith, we journey together for transformation. Together, in action, we build hope for the future.“
Frances Namoumou, programmes manager of the Pacific Conference of Churches and member of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, facilitated the ceremony.
“We could have done the launch by ourselves at the PCC, but we chose to do it during the Pacific Church Leaders’ Meeting as an opportunity to inform the church leaders of this ecumenical decade and to invite our member churches to participate”, she said. “Each church can drive how the Pacific will respond to the Ecumenical Decade”, added Namoumou.
Learn more about the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action
Re-grounding the household: returning to our story in Christ (WCC blog, 14 April 2026)
WCC general secretary meets state minister from Tuvalu (WCC news release, 11 April 2026)
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A participant tosses a small bundle of green leaves with red flowers into the water as part of one of the symbolic acts of the ceremony.
Marcelo Schneider/WCC
