Suliasi Kurulo
Encyclopedia
Suliasi Kurulo is a Fiji
an Pentecostal
minister and evangelist
. He is President of the Christian Mission Fellowship (CMF), an international denomination based in Fiji, and is involved with the World Harvest Centre at Newtown, Trinity Television, Christian Radio Station FM97, and the World Harvest Bible College in Labasa
. He oversees missionaries in such places as the United Kingdom
, the United States
, South Africa
, Cambodia
, and other Pacific Islands
nations.
Kurulo is a friend of international evangelists Reinhard Bonnke
, Luis Palau
and Benny Hinn
, and was praised by the late Christian Men's Network founder and author Edwin Louis Cole
.
. He was educated initially at Vuya District School, but went to live with an uncle in Toorak, Suva
, in 1966 in order to further his education, enrolling in Suva Methodist Primary School. After returning to his village for family reasons, he subsequently boarded at Ratu Kadavulevu School
and went on to the Fiji Institute of Technology
(FIT), where he studied building and civil engineering before switching to a new course called "Multi-Craft." After graduating from the course, he taught at Bua Secondary School. He returned to FIT in 1978-1979 to complete his building and civil engineering diploma, and subsequently became a cabinet maker.
He started full-time missionary work in 1984. He earned a Bachelor's degree
in theology
in 1991 and Masters degree in 1993, both from New Covenant International (a Christian university for pastors) in the United States
. He claims that the CMF now has 6000 members in Fiji (half of them in Suva) and almost 20,000 internationally. He has appeared on the Christian TBN
channel in the United States and won the World Pastors Prestigious Award 2005 in January 2006; only one of two annual recipients is allowed to be from outside the United States.
nurse, at the end of 1983. They have three sons, Josaia (a pilot), Apisalome, and Jone, and one daughter, Francis.
of the government of Prime Minister
Laisenia Qarase
by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
on 5 December 2006. The Fiji Times
quoted him on 8 December as calling the coup "the manifestation of darkness and evil." He was also vocal in condemning the detention and alleged physical mistreatment of six pro-democracy activists by the Military in the early hours of Christmas morning, with the Fiji Sun
quoting him on 26 December as saying that the Military should be ashamed of themselves.
Kurulo made a blistering attack on President
Ratu
Josefa Iloilo
on 4 January 2007, after Iloilo made a broadcast endorsing the coup and the process that followed. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=54617 Iloilo was "a puppet of the Military," the Fiji Times
quoted him as saying. He went on to say that the president's address "made a mockery of our culture, government and our beloved nation Fiji" and that "To say that he would have done exactly the same thing is a crying shame."
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
minister and evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
. He is President of the Christian Mission Fellowship (CMF), an international denomination based in Fiji, and is involved with the World Harvest Centre at Newtown, Trinity Television, Christian Radio Station FM97, and the World Harvest Bible College in Labasa
Labasa
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. The town itself is located on a delta formed by three rivers - the...
. He oversees missionaries in such places as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, and other Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
nations.
Kurulo is a friend of international evangelists Reinhard Bonnke
Reinhard Bonnke
Reinhard Bonnke is a German charismatic Christian evangelist, principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout the Continent of Africa.-Early life:...
, Luis Palau
Luis Palau
Luis Palau, Jr. is an international Christian evangelist living in the Portland area in Oregon, United States. He was born in Argentina and moved to Portland in his mid-twenties to enroll in a graduate program in Biblical studies....
and Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
, and was praised by the late Christian Men's Network founder and author Edwin Louis Cole
Edwin Louis Cole
Edwin Louis Cole also known as Ed Cole, was the founder of the Christian Men's Network, a religious organization devoted to helping Christian men and fathers...
.
Education and career
He was born to a Methodist family in 1958 in the village of Navatu, in Bua ProvinceBua Province
Bua is one of fourteen provinces of Fiji. Located in the west of the northern island of Vanua Levu, it is one of three northern provinces, and has a land area of 1,379 square kilometers. Its population at the 2007 census, the most recent to date, was 14,176, making it the fourth least-populous...
. He was educated initially at Vuya District School, but went to live with an uncle in Toorak, Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, in 1966 in order to further his education, enrolling in Suva Methodist Primary School. After returning to his village for family reasons, he subsequently boarded at Ratu Kadavulevu School
Ratu Kadavulevu School
Ratu Kadavulevu School is a school in Lodoni, Fiji. It has some 625 students and claims to be the largest boarding school in the country. Its students are multiracial, but predominantly Fijian....
and went on to the Fiji Institute of Technology
Fiji Institute of Technology
The Fiji Institute of Technology is a university based in Fiji. Its has 4 campuses in Suva, Ba, Nadi and Labasa. It was established in 1963 to provide Technical and vocational education aimed at training students in technical disciplines to meet the engineering human resource needs of Fiji...
(FIT), where he studied building and civil engineering before switching to a new course called "Multi-Craft." After graduating from the course, he taught at Bua Secondary School. He returned to FIT in 1978-1979 to complete his building and civil engineering diploma, and subsequently became a cabinet maker.
He started full-time missionary work in 1984. He earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in 1991 and Masters degree in 1993, both from New Covenant International (a Christian university for pastors) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He claims that the CMF now has 6000 members in Fiji (half of them in Suva) and almost 20,000 internationally. He has appeared on the Christian TBN
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
channel in the United States and won the World Pastors Prestigious Award 2005 in January 2006; only one of two annual recipients is allowed to be from outside the United States.
Personal life
He married Mere Dinaulu, a LabasaLabasa
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. The town itself is located on a delta formed by three rivers - the...
nurse, at the end of 1983. They have three sons, Josaia (a pilot), Apisalome, and Jone, and one daughter, Francis.
2006 coup
Kurulo condemned the overthrow2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
of the government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
on 5 December 2006. The Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
quoted him on 8 December as calling the coup "the manifestation of darkness and evil." He was also vocal in condemning the detention and alleged physical mistreatment of six pro-democracy activists by the Military in the early hours of Christmas morning, with the Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoting him on 26 December as saying that the Military should be ashamed of themselves.
Kurulo made a blistering attack on President
President of Fiji
The President of the Republic of Fiji is the head of state of Fiji. The President was appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution. The Great Council of Chiefs is constitutionally required to consult the Prime Minister, but...
Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Josefa Iloilo
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 until 4 January 2007 . He held the traditional title of Tui Vuda, the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast...
on 4 January 2007, after Iloilo made a broadcast endorsing the coup and the process that followed. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=54617 Iloilo was "a puppet of the Military," the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
quoted him as saying. He went on to say that the president's address "made a mockery of our culture, government and our beloved nation Fiji" and that "To say that he would have done exactly the same thing is a crying shame."
Sources
- Fiji Times, 26 February 2006