Pastor Sethy John Regenvanu (born 1945) is a politician in

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

. He is one of several churchmen who have been active in Vanuatu politics, like Father

Walter Lini Walter Hadye Lin̄i (1942 – 21 February 1999) was a Raga Anglican priest and politician who was the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, from independence in 1980 to 1991. He was born at Agatoa village, Pentecost Island. On his mother's side ...

, Rev. Frederick Karlomuana Timakata, and Father Gérard Leymang. Hailing from

Uripiv Uripiv Island is a small inhabited island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean. Uripiv lies off the north coast of Malekula Island. The estimated terrain elevation above the sea level is some 8 meters. Population As of 2015, the o ...

island near

Malekula Malakula Island, also spelled Malekula, is the second-largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, in Melanesia, a region of the Pacific Ocean. Location Malakula is separated from the islands of Espiritu Santo and Malo by ...

, he became lands minister in the last pre-independence government of the New Hebrides in November 1979. He was Christian Education Officer with the Presbyterian Church of New Hebrides, before becoming Minister of Lands in the new government of Vanuatu on Independence in July 1980. In February 1983 he succeeded Timakata as deputy prime minister. In January 1988 he became minister of education, youth and sports, and in December 1991 he again became deputy prime minister.William F.S. Miles, ''Bridging Mental Boundaries in a Postcolonial Microcosm: Identity and Development in Vanuatu'', Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1998, , p.25. He was

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

in 1991. Later he served as chairman of the electoral commission. In 1994 he led a group which broke away from Lini's National United Party and formed the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

. He has also been social issues coordinator in the

Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (french: Église presbytérienne de Vanuatu), or the Presbitirin Jyos Blong Vanuatu in Bislama, is the largest Christian denomination in Vanuatu. History It was created by missionaries of the London Missionary ...

. In October 2004 he was seconded for a three-year appointment to St. Andrew's, Suva, Fiji. He married an Australian-born missionary teacher, Dorothy Rutter, who also became a pastor in the Presbyterian Church. They have five sons, including

Ralph Regenvanu Ralph John Regenvanu (born 20 September 1970 in Suva, Fiji''Laef Blong Mi'', Sethy Regenvanu, op.cit., p. 76) is a Ni-Vanuatu anthropologist, artist and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since September 2008, was a member of Cabinet ...

, formerly the long-time director of the

Vanuatu Cultural Centre The Vanuatu Cultural Centre (in Bislama ''Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta'' or "VKS"; in French ''Centre Culturel du Vanuatu''), founded in 1955, is the national cultural institution of Vanuatu. It is located in the capital Port Vila. From 1995 to 2006, ...

and currently Minister for Lands in the government of Moana Carcasses. He has written an autobiography
''Laef Blong Mi'' (2004)

References

Vanuatuan Presbyterians People from Malampa Province Living people National United Party (Vanuatu) politicians Finance Ministers of Vanuatu Government ministers of Vanuatu Year of birth uncertain 1945 births Members of the Parliament of Vanuatu {{Vanuatu-politician-stub