Solomon Islands

The United Church in the Solomon Islands

The United Church in the Solomon Islands (UCSI) is guided by a long-term vision for mission and development which focuses on eight key areas:

• evangelism and pastoral care
• family, community and culture
• social services and social issues
• church and governance
• finance
• infrastructure and church properties
• human resource
• environmental stewardship, including land development and climate change. 

UCSI serves a youthful and vibrant membership—most under 24 years old—spread across all provinces of the Solomon Islands, from Lata in the east to the Shortland Islands in the west.

Spanning a distance of approximately 760 nautical miles (a similar distance as from Singapore Changi to Bangkok) the church has rich cultural diversity, with over 20 language groups represented.

Mission work is often challenged by remote geography, unpredictable weather, and limited transport, especially in Western and Choiseul Provinces. In response, UCSI is exploring innovative ways to connect and minister across the islands. 

History

The United Church in the Solomon Islands (UCSI) traces its roots to Methodist mission work that began in 1902, when the Australian Methodist Church initiated outreach in the region.

Over time, Methodism became the dominant Christian tradition in the Solomon Islands. In 1968, the Methodist Church joined with the Papua Ekalesia and the Union Church in Port Moresby to form the United Church in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (UCPNGSI), a cross-national denomination serving both countries.

As both nations developed independently, the Church discerned the need for separate national expressions of its ministry.

In 1996, the General Assembly of UCPNGSI agreed to formally separate, leading to the establishment of the United Church in the Solomon Islands as an autonomous body.

Since then, UCSI has grown into a national church, rooted in the cultural and spiritual life of the Solomon Islands and committed to contextual mission and unity