A Celebration of Friendship, Faith and an Enduring Bond

Last Sunday, the walls of St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Sydney resonated with music, a sense of shared history and gratitude to God, as more than 600 people came together in a Choral Service of Thanksgiving.

The service, co-hosted by the Uniting Church in Australia, was held to mark a significant dual celebration: the 55th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Australia and Tonga, and the Golden Jubilee of the Tongan Consulate General in Australia.

Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u, alongside Her Royal Highness Princess Pilolevu, joined with heads of state, church leaders and members of the Australian-Tongan community to witness and participate in the celebration. While hundreds filled the church, many thousands more watched online, drawn into worship through the voices of over 400 choristers from communities down the east coast of Australia.

At the heart of the service was President Rev Charissa Suli’s sermon. Her message was framed by Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” and carried the theme: Woven Together in Christ: A Cord That Cannot Be Broken.

“As I look around this church today, I see the joy and anticipation of our people,” Rev Suli said, “and I know that today we are part of something bigger than ourselves. A story God has been weaving for generations.”

She reflected on the wisdom of Solomon, who reminds us that life lived in isolation is fragile, while relationships grounded in faith endure. “What we build has value not because it makes us powerful or popular,” she said, “but because it serves God’s kingdom and blesses others.”

She then turned to the words of Paul in Philippians, written from prison yet overflowing with joy in Gospel partnership. “Paul’s joy was not based on comfort,” Rev Suli said. “His joy was rooted in Christ, who gave meaning to his suffering and hope for the future.”

She celebrated the 55-year relationship between Tonga and Australia, noting its deep Christian roots. “Missionaries with Methodist heritage once carried the Gospel to Tonga. Today, the ties between our nations are lived out in many ways – through education, worship, service and the vibrant Tongan diaspora in Australia.”

Rev Suli also honoured the role of the Tongan Consulate General in Sydney, not just as an office but as a place of connection and care. “For 50 years, it has been a fala of generosity, a bridge of belonging,” she said. “It has been a door that never closed – where families found help, and new arrivals found identity and home.”

She gave thanks for the ongoing relationship between the Uniting Church and the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, the monarch’s church and a vital thread in Tongan life. “Together, we continue to walk closely as partners in mission, worship and friendship.”

In drawing her message to a close, Rev Suli reminded the congregation of the words of Jesus in John 15: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. I no longer call you servants; I have called you friends.”

“Love is not a suggestion,” she said. “It is the mark of discipleship. When Christ is the third strand, our friendships and partnerships are strong enough to endure across generations.”

She called the Jubilee not only a time of remembrance but of recommitment to justice, peace, shared mission and future generations. “This week, our nations renewed their promise of friendship through Kaumeʻa Ofi – close friends. How fitting that we hear Christ’s own words: ‘I have called you friends.’”

Her blessing was a charge to the congregation and the two nations: “Respond to the cries of the poor, address climate change, work for peace, build communities of belonging, and raise the next generation in faith and hope.”

“There are cords that can be broken – cords of hate, division, and self-interest. But the cord woven in Christ cannot be broken,” she said. “‘Oku ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi afo ʻe lava ke motuhi – ka ko e afo ʻoku lalanga ʻia Kalaisi, ʻe ʻikai lava ia ke motuhi.”