Nauru Minister Honours Sabbath in Kiribati Ahead of PNA Meeting

Nauru Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Reagan Winson Aliklik. Photo: Courtesy, Government of the Republic of Nauru.

AMBO, TARAWA

In a rare act of faith over protocol, Nauru’s Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Reagan Winson Aliklik, set aside all official duties to keep the Sabbath and worship with local church members in Kiribati."

While attending the high-level PNA Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Tarawa, the Minister cancelled all official appointments to observe the Sabbath with the Korobu Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Despite the tight pre-meeting schedule, the Minister spent the entire Sabbath at the church headquarters—worshipping, sharing lunch, and testifying with local members.

In his testimony, he shared how he became a Seventh-Day Adventist and the Sabbath truth while studying in Isalei, Fiji, and has faithfully observed it ever since—even when it meant standing alone back home in Nauru.

He told church members that after returning to Nauru, he offered his land for the SDA Church to be built.

Right: Nauru Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Reagan Winson Aliklik, giving testimony to Korobu SDA members, Tarawa. Left: Translator Pr Titau Tavita, General Secretary, Kiribati SDA Mission.

He also faced intense political pressure in Parliament, including threats to terminate his role for refusing to work on Saturdays.

When asked to swear on the Bible, he instead opened it and read about the Sabbath. Miraculously, a scheduled vote to remove him failed due to a lack of quorum.

The Minister proposed stronger partnerships between Adventist members in Nauru and Kiribati to foster unity and cooperation.

The PNA Meeting officially begins this week, with Fisheries Ministers from Tuvalu, PNG, Solomon Islands, FSM, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati gathering to discuss key regional issues.