The Adventist Church plays a key role in the development of society, Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said at the opening of the Fiji Pathfinder Camporee—a gathering of Christian young people—at Queen Victoria School.

“We are especially conscious of the work of your church in education. The quality of Fiji’s schools and education systems are things my colleagues and I care about very deeply,” Qarase said.

“I cannot stress enough how important education is to the development of the individual, the community and the country,” he added. “It is good for the future of our region that you should come together in this way now. You children of today are a country’s most valuable and important resource.”

Two other camporees were also organized by the church in the South Pacific region—in Australia and New Zealand. The three events combined hosted nearly 7,000 youth, ages 10 to 15.

The Fiji camporee, a first for the church in the country, included a march of 3,500 youth displaying anti-drug messages through the streets of Suva, the capital. Participants came from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Tuvalu, Niue, Kiribati, New Zealand and Fiji.

The Australian camporee also held a parade—some 2,600 Pathfinders marched in the streets of Waikerie, South Australia.

“We take pride in ourselves and in our organization,” said Tony Knight, youth director for the church in Australia. “We wanted to say to the townspeople, ‘Here’s a church doing something significant for its young [people], and it’s paying off.’”

Hundreds of young people committed themselves to God during the three camporees.

Pathfinder camporees combine a mix of activity-based learning and a worship experience that, for many, is an opportunity they get only once in their lifetime. Pathfinders, operated by the Adventist Church, is a worldwide network of youth clubs that encourage faith and good citizenship.