Lessons in hospitality, leadership and loving the stranger
Attending the President's Conference, Ian Dempster witnessed emerging leaders inspire, communities unite, and the enduring message to welcome strangers with love
January 28, 2026
by Ian Dempster, Resource Officer at UAICC South Australia
I went on my first trip to Tonga and the Pacific with members of the National Executive of the Congress (Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress). I work for the Congress as a Resource Officer and was particularly pleased that we had some young adult leaders of the Congress participating in the conference.
Naturally highlights of the conference included the magnificent singing of our Tongan hosts, and their wonderful hospitality. This included feasts with wonderful fresh fruit and seafood. A local café was called Friends Café which summed up the spirit of the conference. Everyone was warmly welcomed by the President and members of her family, and our generous Tongan hosts.
The second day was led by younger adult leaders, under the theme, “Weaving Forward: The Generation Speaks.” This featured an Emerging Leaders Panel including Sean Weetra from Congress. We also were challenged by contributions by Pacifica speakers from Tonga, Aotearoa New Zealand and Fiji.
Maungarongo Tito challenged us with his introduction: “Do we greet strangers?” whom we meet everywhere, including at the conference.
The Bible Study on the second day was led by Olivia Baro, Ecumenical Animator for Youth Engagement with the Pacific Council of Churches. The theme of her study was “Leading with Love: the Next Generation’s Vision for the Church.” The message from her presentation was what I came home with from the conference.
Olivia referred us to the Old Testament laws which remind us that welcoming the stranger is a central ethical command for the people of God. These included passages such as Leviticus 19:33–34, Deuteronomy 10:18–19 and Exodus 23:9. For example, Leviticus 19 says, ”When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born”. The consistent reminder to the people was that they were strangers in the land of Egypt, so they need to love the stranger.
We know the commands of Jesus to “love our neighbours as ourselves” and to “love our enemies”. We also know well the example of Jesus with the Samaritan woman and the story of the Good Samaritan, but to hear these commands from the Old Testament was challenging and refreshing. This is a message that Australia needs to continue to hear today.
We were certainly blessed and loved in Tonga, and I am so grateful that our President ran this conference there so that we could share in and learn from the wonderful Tongan hospitality.
Ian Dempster
January 2026
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