I have approached a number of religious leaders about the ACCF’s responses to the coups, but many have responded they do not feel they can talk to me in the current political environment.[75] However, there were some indications from the Assemblies of God that they were not entirely in agreement with some of the statements of the ACCF.
Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu’s position as chair of both the ACCF and the FCC has, however, created considerable tension between FCC members – particularly, it would seem, between the Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Father Barr said:
I think an unfortunate situation is the whole takeover of the FCC by the Methodist Church and the ACCF. They’ve got a very strong representation there and I’m not a member of the committee there but I’ve heard from others that there’s been a very strong move to change the FCC, to initiate changes in the constitution and even to do up a sort of a statement of beliefs that all churches [adhere to].[76]
Within the FCC, churches are apparently expected to conform to the decisions made by Rev. Waqairatu, unless they express a different view as an individual church. In fact, the FCC is now divided to the point that they met only once in 2007, at their AGM (pers. comm., church member, 2007). As a result, there has been no public statement from the FCC regarding the People’s Charter.