A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships
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Methodist Church of Samoa Church Family: Methodist Membership: 35,983 Synods: 12 Parishes: 186 Pastors: 279 Member of: WCC (1975) – PCC – SCC – WMC When the first missionary arrived in 1835, some 2,000 Samoans were already following Lotu Tonga (Tongan religion). They worshipped in rough chapels, observing a few basic Christian practices taught them by a Samoan chief who had embraced Christianity in Tonga and on his return had become a missionary to his own country. In 1839, it was ordered that Methodism be abandoned, and the missionary left the country. Some Methodist Christians returned to paganism, and some went over to the Roman Catholic Church. But Methodism survived, and for 18 years it was served by Tongan and Samoan teachers. In 1856 the conference in Australia decided to resume the work in Samoa. Towards the end of the 19th century Samoa suffered badly from civil wars and political conflicts. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by several developments. The church began to realize that its task was to be a sending church, not only a receiving church. It sought to become financially independent and to rid itself of illiteracy and ignorance. The political independence of Samoa in 1962 was followed by the autonomy of the Methodist Conference in 1964. Since then notable changes have taken place. The number of ordained ministers has increased and lay people participate in the work of the church. Present programmes of the church extend to areas such as land development and home economics. There is a great evangelistic zeal and a growing enthusiasm for missionary outreach. The life of the church is based on the tradition and culture of the people. Education at all levels is a priority. The MCS has a primary school and three secondary schools, a technical college and Piula Theological College near the capital, where the ministers are trained. It also has very active women and youth departments. The church maintains close relationships with Methodist churches in New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, the USA, the Caribbean, and with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Population: 504,405 Surface area: 28,900 sq.km Capital: Honiara GNI per capita: 550 US$ Classification: Least developed country Languages: English, Pidgin Religions: Christian 96%; Baha’i 1% Christianity: Protestants 207,600; Catholics 96,000; Anglicans 175,000; Independent 30,120 The Solomon Islands is a nation composed of about 1,000 islands east of Papua New Guinea, in the Melanesian part of the Pacific, where people have lived for thousands of years. In 1886 Great Britain and Germany divided the islands between them but Britain achieved control of the entire territory in 1890. It was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. In 1978 the Solomon Islands became independent and joined the British Commonwealth. Ethnic violence and crime shook the country from 1999-2003. An international peace-keeping force led by Australia restored order. The economy of the Solomon Islands is based on agriculture, fishing and forestry. There are rich mineral resources which have not yet been exploited. The Church of Melanesia (Anglican), the Catholic Church, and the United Church, which represent together 60 percent of the population, have formed the Solomon Islands Christian Association as the ecumenical body. Two other large churches, the Seventh-day Adventists and the South Sea Evangelical Church are associated members; the latter is affiliated with the WEA. There are also some growing Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.
Founded in 1967. Basis of membership: The Solomon Islands Christian Association is a fellowship of churches and organizations which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mission statement: We as a national body commit ourselves to promoting the spirit of unity and solidarity both with SICA and non-SICA member Christian churches. Member churches: Catholic Church
Church of Nazarene Seventh-day Adventist Church South Sea Evangelical Church United Church in the Solomon Islands Associate members: Bible Society Campus Crusade for Christ Child Evangelism Family Planning Australia Language Recording Scripture Union Short Workshop in Mission Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group World Vision
Church Family: Anglican Membership: 200,000 Dioceses: 8 Bishops: 9 Parishes/Districts: 197 Priests and deacons: 400 Member of: WCC (1977) – PCC – SICA – VCC – ACC Periodical: Church of Melanesia Messenger (in English, quarterly) Oceania
The Anglican Church came first to Melanesia in 1849 through mission efforts from New Zealand. Later on missionaries from Australia and the UK joined. At first they concentrated on New Caledonia, the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and the Solomon Islands. The first bishop of Melanasia was consecrated in 1861. His goal was to form a native clergy who would train and guide local lay teachers of the Christian faith. To train these catechists, a school was first set up on Mota, and later on Norfolk Island. Because of the much larger area and population of the Solomon Islands, most of the effort by the mission was soon directed towards the Solomon Islands. Missionaries worked together with local clergy to develop Christianity in Melanesia into a local expression of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Since independence in the 1970s, the church has been experiencing growth in areas previously untouched by Anglicanism. The ethos of the Church of Melanesia is catholic, with a lively liturgical worship including the daily offices and the celebration of the seven sacraments with full appeal to the five senses. The liturgies are usually in English or a local language, following ecumenical patterns, but celebrated with a local style of singing and native dancing. There are four established religious orders with about 500 brothers and sisters. The oldest is the Melanesian Brotherhood, the largest religious order in the Anglican Communion. The martyrdom by torture and death of seven brothers in 2003 brought international outcry and challenged the Church of Melanesia to go deeper into the mystery of faith. The other communities are the two international pan-Anglican orders of the Society of Saint Francis (for men) and the Community of the Sisters of the Church, and the provincial Community of the Sisters of Melanesia. The ministry of these communities encompasses thousands of lay people, encouraging a disciplined way of life through their companions, associates and third orders. The communities operate a Christian care centre for battered women and abused children in a rural area near Honiara. The church runs several church schools, secondary and primary, and one tertiary institution where most clergy are trained. Other clergy are trained in ecumenical cooperation with the Presbyterians in Vanuatu and at diocesan training centres. Primarily for married women, the Mothers’ Union in the Church of Melanesia has many young, educated women working for women’s equality and rights in the church and other social spheres. The Union concentrates on the needs of developing Christian family life, literacy and hospitality programmes. The Church of the Province of Melanesia as a whole is governed by the general convention composed of all bishops, and lay and ordained representatives from every diocese. The eight dioceses are each led by a diocesan bishop and a diocesan secretary. Each diocese is responsible for carrying out the mission of the church in its own area. Each is governed by its own synod including lay and ordained representatives. Each diocese is divided into parishes, each led by a parish priest and lay leaders. The problems faced by the Church of Melanesia in the 21st century are numerous: inflation, tremendous numbers of unemployed people, urbanization, isolation in remote communities, and the transformation of traditional Melanesian lifestyles. The tragedy of nearly five years of civil unrest and the death of many people, including members of religious communities, has sorely tested the church, but witnessing to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church of Melanesia goes on in the sure and certain hope of resurrection and new life in the new millennium. United Church in the Solomon Islands Church Family: United and Uniting Membership: 50,000 Congregations: 191 Pastors (ordained): 73 Pastors (lay): 200 Member of: WCC (1971) – PCC – SICA – CWM The United Church in the Solomon Islands used to be part of the former United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, which was founded in 1968. In 1996 the general assembly of the UC-PNG/SI resolved that the existence of one united church covering two independent countries should no longer be maintained. Thus the United Church in the Solomon Islands came into being as an autonomous church on its own. Its history goes back to the Australian Methodist Church, now the Uniting Church in Australia, which began missionary work in Papua New Guinea in the 19th century, and in the Solomon Islands in 1902, in what is now the western province. The Methodists became the predominant denomination in that region. The Methodists together with the Papua Ekalesia and the Union Church in Port Moresby formed the United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in 1968. The western province of the Solomon Islands has remained the area of concentration of the United Church. In the 1980s the church started spreading out to other parts of the country, including the capital Honiara. The church runs several primary schools, a hospital and some clinics. It is involved in training people for mission, and in overcoming distances, ethnic and linguistic diversity in mission, particularly with Kiribati. Women participate in decision making at all levels of the church, and the United Women’s Fellowship is very active in the local congregations. The church supports the Boys and Girls’ Brigades, and youth camps. Programmes of the church include urban ministry among young people, skills training for school drop-outs and the unemployed, and the improvement of literacy. The United Church is concerned with the issue of the damage done to the environment because of excessive logging. TONGA Population: 105,797 Surface area: 750 sq.km Capital: Nuku’Alofa GNI per capita: 1,830 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Tongan, English Religions: Christian 92%; Baha’i 7% Christianity: Protestants 39,760; Catholics 16,200; Anglicans 550; Independent 20,950 Tonga is part of Polynesia and consists of about 150 islands, divided into three main groups. It was settled by people who migrated from South-East Asia some 6000 years ago, and is probably the oldest inhabited archipelago in the region. In the 12th century, Tongans were known across the Pacific as navigators and adventurers. In the 19th century, Tonga was united into a kingdom. It came under British protection in 1900, and joined the British Commonwealth as an independent monarchy, which had never lost its internal governance. Tonga’s population is ethnically very homogenous. The society is made up of nobles, a caste of elite, and the common people, who are mostly poor. The king (or queen) is revered by Oceania
all. The land is the property of the crown, and is distributed according to a system that guarantees some equal treatment for the commoners. The economy is based on farming and the export of cash crops, and on tourism. Many Tongans live in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Migration is to some extent a safety valve to avoid over-population of the limited land area. The Free Wesleyan Church (Methodist) is the largest church. Together with the Catholic Church and the small Anglican community it has formed the national council of churches. Other churches are the Constitutional Church and the Anglican Church, which is part of the diocese of Polynesia. The Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) and other charismatic groups have grown much faster than the larger churches, but remain relatively small. The Tonga Evangelical Union is affiliated with the WEA. *Tonga National Council of Churches Founded in 1973. Basis of membership: The Tonga National Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mission statement: Praising one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and reconciling all people to God, through Jesus Christ, the way, truth, and life. Member churches:
Catholic Diocese of Tonga (and Niue) Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga Associate members: Scripture Union of Tonga Tonga Fellowship Union Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (Methodist Church in Tonga) Church Family: Methodist Membership: 38,692 Congregations: 157 Pastors: 216 Member of: WCC (1975) – PCC – TNCC – WMC Periodical: Fakafeangai & Polokalama (Fellowship with the Lord & Programme, twice a year, in Tongan) The first Methodist missionaries arrived in Tonga in 1822. After a difficult start the work progressed, and by the middle of the 19th century the whole population was Christianized. There was a split in the church in 1885 which was partially resolved in 1924. Tonga was a conference within the Methodist Church of Australasia until 1977 when the Uniting Church in Australia was formed, and the Free Wesleyan Church gained its autonomy. The word “Free” in the name of the church indicates that the Tonga Conference is completely independent, and the word “Wesleyan” expresses the gratitude of the Tongan people to the missionaries and ministers of the Wesleyan church who evangelized the island. The relation between the king and the Free Wesleyan Church has been strong since the foundation of modern Tonga under Taufa’ahau Tupou I in 1845. The reigning monarch confirms constitutionally the elected president of the church in office. The church is often seen as the state religion, though this is not so. Yet the influence of the monarch and the hereditary nobility remains strong in the church, and prevents it from exercising a full critical ministry in matters related to politics, society and culture. Education and evangelism are strong features of the work of the church. While the government is responsible for most primary education, the church has six primary schools and at the secondary level caters to the needs of 60 percent of the students in three middle schools, five senior secondary and three district schools. In addition the church has three agricultural schools and a theological college. For the last decade of the 20th century the church adopted the theme of “Witness 2000”, which involved an all-out drive to reach young people. The department of Christian education and evangelism works closely with the women’s department in implementing the themes of the church. From the beginning, the Wesleyan Church of Tonga has been involved in carrying the gospel beyond Tonga. At present, missionaries are working in Northern Australia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Hawaii and the west coast of the USA. The Tongan Church Mission Board oversees numerous Tongan congregations in other countries, notably Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Population: 10,851 Surface area: 26 sq.km Capital: Funafuti GDP per capita: 1,100 US$ Classification: Least developed country Languages: Tuvaluan, English Religions: Christian 95%; Baha’i 1% Christianity: Protestants 10,080; Catholics 110; Independent 200 Tuvalu, the former Ellice Islands, consists of a group of nine atolls in the Pacific, south of the former Gilbert Islands with which it formed a British colony (see Kiribati). Tuvaluans are a Polynesian people who probably settled in the islands some 2000 years ago. In 1974 the population voted for separation from the Micronesians living in the Gilbert Islands, and in 1978 Tuvalu became independent and joined the British Commonwealth. The economy is mainly based on subsistence farming and fishing. Other sources of income are licence fees from the use of Tuvalu’s “tv” internet domain name and its telecommunication area code, and remittances from Tuvaluan workers overseas. Tuvalu benefits also from an international trust fund, established by Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Climate change and its effects on the sea level are of particular concern for Tuvalu, because the islands are very low-lying. The Church of Tuvalu (Protestant) is by far the largest church. Besides the small Catholic Church there are two other small churches, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventist. Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu Church Family: Reformed Membership: 9,715 Congregations: 13 Pastors: 29 Oceania
Member of : WCC (1980) – PCC – CWM Periodical: Lama (monthly, in Tuvaluan) The Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu traces its origins back to 1861. The London Missionary Society began working in the island in 1864. Tuvalu was also a mission field of the Samoa Congregational Christian Church. The church became autonomous in 1968. Its doctrinal bases are the Apostolic and Nicene Creeds. About 96 percent of the population of Tuvalu belongs to the church, which plays an important role in the cultural, socio-political and religious development of the society. The primary schools and one of the two secondary schools established by the LMS have been taken over by the government. The church has kept and revived the other secondary school, and celebrated its centenary in 2005. The church is concerned with the effects of global warning on Tuvalu, issues of violence and morality, the prevention of AIDS and problems of transport and communication affecting the country. The church seeks to enrich the faith of its members, to enhance the use of the Tuvaluan language and musical tradition, and to promote the full participation of women. There is as yet no ordained woman pastor. Women are very active in organizing church and community events, and celebrations. Other priorities are the development of island communities’ churches in the capital for Christians who have migrated from the smaller islands, and the publication of a new hymnal and of the first study Bible in Tuvaluan. The church has appointed a full-time chaplain to the hospital and the prison, and hopes to establish also a chaplaincy for seamen. With the help of a consultant from the Church of South India and a local coordinator, a review of the curriculum for Sunday schools has been undertaken. Youth activities are organized by the Boys’ Brigade and island youth groups. One of the major projects of the church is to establish a theological institution, to train people for the ministry and to provide refresher courses for pastors. The church has fraternal relations with the Methodist Church in Fiji, the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa and in American Samoa, the Protestant Church in Kiribati, the Uniting Church in Australia and the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in New Zealand.
Population: 222,237 Surface area: 12,190 sq.km Capital: Port Vila GNI per capita: 1,340 US$ Classification: Least developed country Languages: Bislama, English, French, other Religions: Christian 93%; Baha’i 3% Christianity: Protestants 114,740; Anglicans 38,000; Catholics 32,000; Independent 18,150 The Pacific island group of Vanuatu is part of Melanesia. The islands were settled some four thousand years ago. In 1906, France and Britain agreed on a condominium over the New Hebrides, as they were called then. In the 1960s, the people of Vanuatu began to press for self-governance and independence; the latter was achieved in 1980. Its first prime minister was an Anglican priest, who tried to give the new nation a politically progressive profile in the region. Economically, Vanuatu lives from subsistence farming and fishing. Tourism is an important source of income. There are no known mineral resources. Christianity came to Vanuatu in the 19th century. The largest church is the Presbyterian Church. The Anglican community is part of the Church of Melanesia, which has its headquarters in the Solomon Islands and is a WCC member church. These two churches, together with the Catholic Church, have formed the Vanuatu Christian Council. Two other large churches are the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) and the Sev-enth-day Adventists, which are associated with the Christian Council. Some smaller Evangelical and Charismatic groups are also present, and growing.
Founded in 1967 (as the New Hebrides Christian Council, which became the Vanuatu Christian Council in 1980). Basis of membership: The Vanuatu Christian Council is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Member churches: Apostolic Church Catholic Church Church of Melanesia Churches of Christ Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu Observer members: Assemblies of God Seventh-day Adventist Church Ministries: Bible Society Scripture Union Summer International Linguistics World Vision
Church Family: Reformed Membership: 78,000 Presbyteries: 6 Sessions: 76 Congregations: 400 Pastors: 200 Member of: WCC (1961) – PCC – VCC – WARC The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu was inaugurated in 1948. At that time the New Hebrides Presbyterian Mission Synod marked the mission’s centenary by handing over the responsibilities to indigenous leadership. The Presbyterian Churches of Nova Scotia, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and the Free and Reformed Presbyterian Churches of Scotland, all contributed to the Presbyterian mission in the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu. The PCV is a stable and still growing church, despite the challenges it is facing. A recent development is the decentralization of leadership, in order to strengthen the presbyteries and sessions. The church is also doing a national review of its work, and establishing a national development plan. Other activities include a school of evangelism, Presbytery Oceania
Bible colleges, mission training, and a refocus on outward mission to neglected areas in Vanuatu as well as mission outside Vanuatu. The church operates three secondary schools and three rural vocational training centres. An average of six pastors graduate every year from the Talua Ministry Training Centre, which the PCV agreed to develop as an ecumenical institution. The Church of Melanesia and the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu signed an agreement to provide training together for the future leaders of Vanuatu. The PCV treasures the long ecumenical partnership with the WCC and other ecumenical bodies and partners in the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. |