22/10/2025
๐ท๐๐๐ 3 (๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐)
A significant challenge during my time at MLTC was leadership. As the saying goes, โLeadership refines its followers.โ Over the three years I spent at the institution, the head of both the Methodist Lay Training Centre and the Young Peopleโs Department was the distinguished Talatala,๐ฅ๐ฒ๐. ๐ก๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ , affectionately known as โFero.โ Rev. Cakacaka had also served as a Chaplain with the ๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฐ . His experience in the military had moulded him into a disciplined Talatala and an effective leader.
He possessed a commanding presence, firm in discipline, precise in speech, and unwavering in his expectations. I remember that during his duty week, he always wore a half-dress uniform; green military trousers and bootsโwhen conducting parade drills for us.
Rev. Cakacaka exhibited zero tolerance for lateness, complacency, or procrastination. He demanded punctuality, responsibility, and complete commitment from every student. Lateness, in his view, reflected poor character rather than mere inefficiency. Though his standards were strict, they cultivated resilience, discipline, and integrity in all who served under his leadership.
His approach to discipline was often direct. For example, if a student was late while wearing a watch, he would declare, โTuck that watch under your underwear; itโs useless to you!โ His point was unequivocal: time without discipline is meaningless. The lesson was clear punctuality is not only practical but a reflection of integrity, respect, and readiness for leadership.
Learning under such stringent leadership was not simple. Many students perceived his methods as severe; however, his guidance was a profound blessing. Through his example, we learned to endure pressure, accept correction without resentment, and embrace disciplined service over emotional impulse. He demonstrated that ministry is not a vocation for the faint-hearted.
From this experience, I understood that becoming a Talatala requires more than theological knowledge or preaching ability. It demands hard work, unwavering dedication, and personal sacrifice. It entails rising early, laboring diligently without complaint, submitting to authority, and committing fully to the call, even under discomfort or inconvenience.
Ultimately, it was neither lectures nor devotions alone that shaped us; it was the daily regimen, the high expectations, the constructive rebukes, and the living example of a leader who embodied the principles he taught. Under Rev. Cakacaka, we were molded not merely into ministers but into servantsโresilient, humble, and prepared to lead through example.
I recall a particular admonition: โ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ (๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ); ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ.โ This principle emphasized that ministry is not driven by personal gain or remuneration but by faithful service. Commitment in small, unseen tasks becomes a true testimony of oneโs character. Recognition, if it comes, follows Godโs timing.
Rev. Nemani Cakacakaโs leadership and training remain instructive in the Church today, especially for those who were taught and worked under his guidance.While the methods he employedโsharp rebukes and colorful expressionsโmay not require direct replication, the underlying principles are timeless and essential. He envisioned leaders who are self-reliant, disciplined, and capable of managing both personal responsibilities and the spiritual needs of their congregation. Ministers, in his vision, are to serve faithfully, act with integrity, respect the values of the vanua, and lead through purposeful action rather than mere words.
In an era where comfort and convenience can easily infiltrate ministry, his example underscores that church leadership demands strength of character, sacrificial service, diligence, and unwavering integrity. His legacy calls for the cultivation of ministers grounded in service, leading through action and example, rather than entitlement or rhetoric.
