Presentation CH 310: Modern Church History Professor: Dr. Dieter Mitternacht Prepared By: Iosefa Lefaoseu Date: 04 May 2010

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Samoa

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History of the Church in Samoa

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Acceptance of Christianity

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Theological Institutions

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Sunday in Samoa

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White Sunday

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Ecumenism in Samoa

The Church in Samoa  Samoa is a Christian Country  Symbolized by her flag

The Church in Samoa

The Church in Samoa

The Church in Samoa

The Church in Samoa  Population of Samoa: 219,998  97.2% of the Population are Christians 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 CCCS (34.8%) RCC (19.6%) MCS (15%) LDS (12.7%) AOG (6.6%) SDA (3.5%) OCD (.5%) OR (2.8%)

History of the Church in Samoa  1827: Mosese Nusitonga, Wesleyan Faith  1827: Salote, Wesleyan Faith  1828: Saivaaia, Wesleyan Faith  1828: Tongan Missionaries

History of the Church in Samoa  1830: John Williams of the London Missionary Society (LMS) arrived with Tahitian Teachers  Messenger of Peace  Accepted by Malietoa Vainuupo

History of the Church in Samoa  In 1835, Peter Turner, a European Missionary from the Wesleyan Missionary Society (WMS) arrived with his wife in Samoa  He found 2,000 people worshipping according to the Lotu Tonga (Methodist Tradition) Samoa Methodist Church

Villages in Savaii

40

Villages in Upolu

25

Villages in Manono

3

Teachers

40

History of the Church in Samoa  In 1839, the WMS had to withdraw  LMS and the WMS controversy  John Williams insisted that William Cross and Nathaniel Turner had promised him Samoa would be an LMS field, in return for LMS acknowledgement of Fiji as Wesleyan  There was no such agreement  Mr. Williams stated distinctly that their object was simply to spread Christianity through the islands  This was not to interfere with the operations of the WMS

The Church in Samoa: History  Roman Catholicism arrived in Samoa in 1845  On August 12, French Marist Brothers aboard the 'Etoile de la Mer, arrived in Savai'i  Father Gilbert Roudaire  Father Theodore Violette  Accompanied by Brother Peloux

The Church in Samoa: History  The Marist Brothers were met with strong oppositions from the Protestant missions  Marist Brothers from France were able to establish the Roman Catholic Church in Samoa

The Church in Samoa: History  In 1857, Wesleyan Missionary Society Resumed the Methodist mission in Samoa  Strong relationship between the Tongans and the Samoans  In 1857, Martin Dyson arrived in Manono to resume the Wesleyan mission

The Church in Samoa: History  In 1860, Dyson was joined by George Brown. Brown had played a very important role in the reestablishment of Methodism in Samoa  Learned the local language very quickly  Wrote and translated many hymns in the Samoan language

The Church in Samoa: History  In 1863, two missionaries from Hawaii were sent to Samoa to establish the Mormon or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS)  At the end of 1920, membership numbered 3,500, about 5 percent of the total population

The Church in Samoa: History  At the end of 1920, membership numbered 3,500, about 5 percent of the total population  On Oct. 15, 1977, it was announced that a temple would be built in Apia  Dedicated August 5, 1983

The Church in Samoa: History  The Seventh Day Adventists arrived in Samoa onboard the Pitcairn in 1891  The first generation of Samoan Adventists was largely formed in the 1930s

The Church in Samoa: History  1900, Samoa was officially a German colony  First governor was Wilhelm Solf  Policy to uphold the prestige of the Missions and encourage their work  Under the German rule and authority, there was no real threat to the Church in Samoa

The Church in Samoa: History  1928, the Assemblies of God was established  Became the largest Pentecostal body in Samoa  Different Assemblies of God  Samoan Assemblies of God  Samoan Independent Assemblies of God  Assembly of God Church of Samoa

History of the Church in Samoa  Other Christian denominations were established later in the 20 th century  Jehovah’s Witnesses  Nazarene  Anglican  Congregational Church of Jesus

The Church in Samoa: History  Peace Chapel  Elim Church  Voice of Christ  Baptist  Worship Centre  Full Gospel  Others

Acceptance and Growth of Christianity  Christianity was seen as a cargo religion “It is my wish that the Christian religion should become universal among us. I look at the wisdom of these worshippers of Jehovah and see how superior they are in every respect. Their ships can traverse the tempest driven ocean for months with perfect safety. . . . Now I conclude that God who has given to his white worshippers these valuable things must be wiser than our gods for they have not given the like to us . . . We all want these articles, and my proposition is that God who gave them should be our God”

Acceptance and Growth of Christianity

 Martin Dyson’s words when he went to Samoa to resume the Wesleyan mission portray the same attitude towards the Christian religion  “We are bound to believe that it was the hope of gifts, and secular gains, which led the chiefs in 1855 to clamor for Wesleyan missionaries”  Arrival of the LDS with gifts of clothes, food, and building material  Arrival of the SDA with medical supplies  Mass Conversion and Family relations

Theological Institutions  Malua Theological College  Theological School of the CCCS  Founded in 1844 by Rev. George Turner and Rev. Charles Hardie of the London Missionary Society  Diploma in Theology (Dip. Th.),Bachelor of Theology (B. Th.), and the Bachelor of Divinity (BD)

Theological Institutions

Piula Theological College

Theological Institutions  Piula Theological College is the Methodist theological institution  Founded in 1868 by George Brown of the Wesleyan Missionary Society  Academic Programs:  Cer. Th., Dip. Th. B. Th., BD

Theological Institutions  Moamoa Theological College is an archdiocesan institution  Founded in 1877  For the training of catechists and their wives  Prepare young men who are desiring to be priests

Sunday in Samoa • Sunday is considered by almost all Samoans as the Sabbath Day • It is a day of rest, feasts, and especially a day of worship

White Sunday  White Sunday is a Holiday in Samoa  Falls on the 2 nd of October Sunday  Children’s Day  Special programs are held during church services  Scriptural recitations ("tauloto")

White Sunday  Biblical story reenactments  Religious drama  Creative dance performances  Gifts for the children  Special White Sunday feasts  Privileges normally reserved for elders are allowed  Such as being the first to be served

Ecumenism  Rivalry between the Missions  Significance of uniting the Churches and the people of Samoa  National Council of Church (NCC)/Samoan Council of Churches (SCC), was established in 1969  The founding members were the CCCS, MCS, and RCS  Anglican Church in Samoa, Apia Protestant Church, Baptist Church, Church of Nazarene in Samoa, Congregational Church of Jesus in Samoa, and the Pentecostal Church

Ecumenism  Some of these Churches are also members of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC)  CCCS and MCS are members of the World Council of Churches (WCC)  Jesus prayed for his people to be one (John 17:11)  Ecumenical Worship Service  Relationship of Theological Institutions  White Sunday

Concluding Remarks  Samoa is a Christian country  Early establishment of the Church had at times confronted some difficulties and hardships  Towards Ecumenism  Growing in Denominations  Bring the people of God into one flock, under the leadership of one Shepherd

By Iosefa Lefaoseu Thank you and Have a Nice Day