Fulton Adventist University College, located in the Pacific Island nation of Fiji, hosted the Maiden Bible and Research Conference from August 19-23, 2025.

Hundreds of students, pastors, and local church elders from across Fiji, along with other invited guests, attended the conference on the college campus.

At the invitation of conference organizers, scholars from the Biblical Research Institute (BRI) were the featured presenters for the event.

This was the first time the entire BRI team visited Fiji, including BRI director, Dr. Elias Brasil de Souza, associate directors Drs. Daniel Bediako, Frank Hasel, Alberto Timm, Clinton Wahlen, and Dr. Keldie Paroschi, assistant director.

The BRI is the theological research center of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, providing biblical, theological, and doctrinal guidance for the worldwide church.

During the five-day conference, the scholars gave presentations covering a wide range of topics requested by conference organizers, including “Theology and the Mission of the Church,” “Adventist Identity,” “Biblical Hermeneutics and Its Challenges,” “The Doctrine of the Trinity,” “Dual Allegiance and Syncretism in the Adventist Church,” “The Attraction and Danger of Conspiracy Theories,” “Independent Ministries (Offshoots) and their Activities,” “Theological Research and the Use of AI” and more.

Each morning featured a devotional by one of the scholars, and time was allotted for very active question-and-answer sessions following the morning and afternoon presentations. The conference culminated on Sabbath with de Souza presenting the morning sermon, “Understanding Adventist Theology” followed by an extended Question and Answer session with the entire BRI team in the afternoon.

Scripture Foundational

Throughout the conference, Scripture was emphasized as the foundation of all Seventh-day Adventist beliefs.

Reflecting on the impact of Fulton’s first Bible and Research Conference, Limoni Manu O’Uiha, dean of the School of Theology stated, “We are so privileged to have the BRI here. The presentations are good and relevant to our students, and they have touched on critical areas.

Dr. Elisha Marfo, dean of Research and Innovation at Fulton, who initiated and planned the invitation of the BRI, said that the need was felt to address issues connected with the independent ministries (there are 24 offshoot groups in Fiji).

“We needed to find a way of dealing with that and came up with an agenda that most of the presentations would be about what the independent ministries were teaching. The topics also dealt with questions pastors, students, and members had,” he said.

“The core issue, as we see it, are issues of interpretation,” added O’Uiha. “The presenters reaffirmed to our students that Adventist theology and doctrines are well established.”

A Positive Impact

Tabua Tuima, Deputy Vice Chancellor, was pleased with the positive impact and blessing the conference was having on the wider area.

“For our pastors in the field—Fiji plus other areas—these meetings have affirmed them in our worldview and interpretation, and that is why they are asking a lot of questions, which have been answered,” he said.

Matagia Masoe, a third-year theology student from American Samoa, found the Q & A sessions particularly helpful, stating, “They gave us a glimpse of what we should know and how to answer these questions.”

A Stronger Research Emphasis

Fulton Adventist University College, which is expected to soon receive full university status from the Fijian government, is seeking to place a stronger emphasis on research.

Explaining how the island communities traditionally value oral communication, Dr. Ronald Stone, Fulton’s Vice Chancellor, said, “We wanted BRI to give presentations, demonstrating how to write so our students would be inspired to take on more. Having BRI come was like igniting something in the hearts of our students.”

To further encourage research and writing, the school has introduced two new journals—the Fulton Adventist University College Journal of Theology and the Fulton Adventist University College Interdisciplinary Journal.

During their visit to the campus, the BRI donated several recent books to the school’s library. The BRI books will continue to be a blessing and will impact the research of students and teachers.

Well-Grounded

Expressing gratefulness for the book donation, Dr. Agnes Kola, program director of the Master of Arts in Ministry program at Fulton, pointed out how the students were grateful to have had the opportunity to interact with the BRI scholars.

“Thank you so much for the books you have donated,” she added. “We need to go to our well-grounded authors.”

About Fulton Adventist University College

Fulton Adventist University College began as the “Fiji Training Institute” in 1905 and was located on the island of Ovalau, one of more than 330 islands in the Fijian archipelago. In 1940, the school relocated to Tailevu on the country’s largest island, Viti Levu, where it was known as the “Fulton Missionary School” and later as “Fulton Missionary College.”

In 2014, the college moved to its current location at Sabeto, near the international airport at Nadi, allowing easier travel access.

Currently, Fulton Adventist University College offers fully accredited degrees and diplomas in theology, education, and business. The university college has a total enrollment of 1,594 students, with 665 on campus, and the remainder studying at extension campuses in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Kiribati.

This article was provided by the Biblical Research Institute. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.