Celebrating the Life of Rev. Dr Jione Havea

We mark with deep sadness the passing of Rev. Dr Jione Havea, who died suddenly in Tonga on 29 April.

Jione was seconded to the Uniting Church in Australia from the Methodist Church of Tonga and served with generosity, insight, and a deep commitment to the life of the Church over many years. His ministry shaped communities, classrooms, and conversations across the Church.

From 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2015, Jione served in the Synod of NSW and the ACT as a lecturer in Biblical Studies at Uniting Theological College, teaching in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. He formed and influenced generations of students, bringing academic depth, cultural wisdom, and a grounded, faithful perspective to his teaching.

Rev. Dr Havea was a biblical scholar, a servant of God, a writer, and a researcher whose work in Pacific theology, Indigenous knowledge, and climate change shaped conversations across the globe, speaking at conferences, as well as locally across our Church.

As his students have noted, he carried the stories of the moana with depth and integrity, often reminding others that “the moana is a long journey; you add your part, then someone else adds theirs.” His scholarship and ministry were never abstract. They were rooted in people, place, and the call to care for creation and one another.

Jione remained closely connected to theological education throughout his life, serving as an adjunct lecturer with Uniting Theological College, Pilgrim Theological College, and Sia’atoutai Theological College in Tonga. In October 2024, he returned to serve the Church as a UME Mission Catalyst in the area of Stewardship of the Earth, continuing his long-held commitment to justice for creation and communities most affected by climate change.

We honour his work, contributions and collaboration across our Church. Right up until his sudden, untimely death, Jione provided his wisdom to us with his AcClimatise the Lectionary project, which has provided many with a critical lens to view scripture from the perspective of care for creation, advocacy that Jione was deeply passionate about.

As countless tributes have noted on social media, he taught that the moana is a journey, and he lived that truth with humility, wisdom, and quiet unwavering conviction. His life and work pointed others toward a faith that listens deeply, walks together, and honours the stories that shape us.

We grieve his passing even as we trust that he now rests in God’s embrace. We give thanks for the part he added to this world, and for the part he played in the lives of so many.

Rev. Dr Havea was a biblical scholar, a servant of God, a writer, and a researcher whose work in Pacific theology, Indigenous knowledge, and climate change shaped conversations across the globe, speaking at conferences, as well as locally across our Church.