NCTC - Fiji Islands

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

How to Support NCTC or A Students

Who Are We?

The Northern Christian Training Centre is a grass roots project aimed at providing a way out of the poverty cycle for young and mature students not only from the north of Fiji but also from the rest of the country and from other more remote islands of the South Pacific region. We plan to provide training on two levels: in vocational skills, management of small businesses and cottage industries and self-sufficiency skills, as well as in biblical studies, and in the development of character and self-esteem.

This two-level approach to training is seen as vital in bringing about sustainable, long term improvement in the lifestyle of the individual students as well their families and local communities.

There is a desperate need for such a training centre in this area, as acknowledged by the Ministry of Youth, Employment Opportunities and Sport in their supporting letter. Labasa is in an isolated location away from the main tourist areas where income
can be generated more easily, and away from the larger centres of population (only 18% of the population lives in Vanua Levu) which means limited access to markets. There is growing unemployment in the area especially as the two main industries are retrenching. This is accompanied by an increase in juvenile delinquency and other social problems.

Vision: To train and equip students Biblically and practically; therefore, enhancing their employment and ministry opportunities. To develop Christian character with excellence and self-sufficiency life skills.

Missions Statement: NCTC is a training institution for all people of the South Pacific so they can come and be trained, then return home to take root and bear much fruit, as does the coconut tree, and then bring healing to the nations. Rev 22:2

Structure of NCTC

Board of Trustees:

NCTC is under the control of the Board of Trustees, which is made up of 5 members:

DONALD H BULL (MBE) J.P. (Fiji) - Secretary - Businessman
MARION R MALE B.Th. - Chairperson / Founding Principal - Missionary Bible Teacher from Australia
SAINAI MERE BILO QIONIMUA - Treasure Works at the University of the South Pacific - Labasa
DAVID PRASAD - Founding Pastor of 'Bethesda Christian Fellowship' - Labasa (advicer)
JAMES PRASAD - Pastor of Shiloh Christian Fellowship Church - Labasa (advicer)

The Building Project:

The majority of labour for the construction of the training centre has been carried out by qualified overseas volunteers, work parties, as well as staff and students as part of their training.

The Training Centre:

While the training centre has been under construction, the school has been operational and at present the staff is limited to two full-time and two part-time members, and both local and overseas volunteer tutors, who come for short periods.

A Vision is Born

In 1974 Pastor Bill Kean (Then Senior Pastor of Creek St. Christian Fellowship in Bendigo Australia) alone with his wife Nell and Wilma Calvert first went to Fiji. For the next 25 years Bill would make one or two yearly trips to Fiji ministering and teaching in churches.

At the age of seven Marion Male (Principal of NCTC) became a Christian. As she knelt next to her mother, praying and asking Jesus to come into her heart God gave her a vision. God showed a woman preaching to dark people in a shed. Marion realised that that woman was her, God was calling her to be a missionary.

Marion grew up on a farm in Australia, where most girls her age would learn cooking or housekeeping, but Marion was learning how to plough land, and work hard. At the age of sixteen, she felt the call of God strongly on her life and moved to Bendigo (100 miles from the farm) to look for work and to learn the Word of God. She attended Creek St. Christian Fellowship.

She had to find a job, wanting to do a trade and looking for work in this area. Through God's grace she found a job and became the first Woman Textile Mechanic in Australia.

In 1980 Marion accompanied Reenie Connor (Kevin Connor's wife) on a trip to Fiji. Marion had been praying for God to show her if Fiji was the place He was sending her to. In a meeting where Marion was speaking, she began to prophecy, that one day something would happen in Labasa that would effect the South Pacific. God also birthed this in Marion's spirit as well. For the next 14 years Marion would come and go from Fiji until a three year work permit was grant by the Fijian Government. Much of that time was spent living in a Fijian village situation, where she saw a lot of aimless young people with so much potential, doing nothing with their lives. She also saw much unemployment and poverty, yet the land was so fertile and Fiji has so many resorts. Something could be done to help.

In 1994 Marion moved permanently to Fiji to work in a local church, but as time passed more and more pastors would ask her to preach and teach in their churches.

In 1998 as Marion was praying over the city of Labasa "Lord move - Lord move". God appeared to her in an amazing way. In a vision, she saw God laughing at her, saying "It is bigger than you ever thought. It is bigger than you ever thought". This birthed such excitement in her spirit even though she had no idea what that meant. Two weeks later she was on furlough in her home church, and giving a missionary report. She told the story. Marion told the church that something so big is on the way it is massive !!!!! As everyone was waiting for the explanation of that statement, Marion said "And I have no idea what it is"!!!!!!!

Soon after that four pastors approached Marion asking her to start a Bible School for their church. For many years Marion had this on her heart also. But this Bible School would not be for one church or one racial group, but for all of God's people.

Early in 1999 the board of NCTC was formed, and on the first of June 1999 NCTC commenced classes. It was not just a Bible School but a Training Centre where trades and skills could be taught. It would not only serve the Christian community with Bible Classes, but also courses would be open to non-Christians as well in the area of trades and short term courses. A vision became reality.

A Vision To Come to NCTC

Miri is a Methodist Pastor, she was so hungry for God and felt like she was in a wilderness. She cried out to God. One night God gave her a vision of a bright light and in the light a number 811009.

The next night Miri again cried out to God, and again God spoke to her in a vision . In the vision she saw her uncle standing in front of her (in Fijian culture the uncle is very highly respected), and the uncle said to her, "call Marion Male Phone:: 811009" [she had never heard Marion's name before]. She came to town and found a phone directory and found Male and Marion next to it. She was so excited and said to herself "this is the person"! She rang and asked for Marion Male.

The amazing thing about this story is every Fijian calls Marion 'MARLIE' not MALE, her name is spelt the same way as a local Fijian tree, even Marion calls herself MULA not Male now, and to hear someone call her MALE was amazing.

The NCTC Logo

The first thing you have probably noticed are the coconut trees.

Why did we chose coconut trees you may ask ? Well firstly the coconut tree is a symbol of the South Pacific and our Training Centre is in this region of the world. Secondly it is known as a fruitful tree, and wherever the fruit falls into a stream, river, or sea, it floats and travels in the flow of the water until it reaches land, where it then takes root and grows and then brings forth more fruit, and on and on the process goes.

This is our vision for the 'Northern Christian Training Centre', that this Centre will be a place where students may come and be equipped practically and spiritually. They then would go in the stream of God and take root, and in turn bring forth much fruit, and the process continues.

It is exciting to note that the coconut tree, flowers and bears fruit each month as with the tree of life in the book of Revelation. Our vision for the NCTC, is that God will bring healing to the nations.

Rev 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (NKJV)

The bird shown on the Logo is a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

We believe it is the Holy Spirit who conceived this Training Centre and is hovering over the NCTC and that He will fulfil the vision.

Ps 1:3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. (NKJV)

How to Support NCTC or A Students