Abstract
This thesis respectfully questions the existing narrative on the early years of the Methodist Church in Samoa (MCS). The standard history of MCS is currently told primarily from the written documents of the missionaries from the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (WMMS). These documents have also been adopted by indigenous Samoan historians who base their findings on the missionaries’ perspective. This thesis offers a different perspective to spotlight a key event in Methodist history in Samoa that is known yet remains muted. It explores the neglected historical role of our Samoan ancestor Saiva’aia as the pioneer of Methodism in Samoa in 1828.
E le taunāmalelāina is a Samoan saying that translates, “This will no longer be hidden from the sun.” It is used in a respectful manner to express that there is no reason to conceal something when everyone knows about it. This is what this thesis attempts to achieve: to shed light on the important events of 1828 that have mostly been subdued by the missionaries and our own people for almost 200 years. Guided by the Spirit of God, our Samoan ancestor, Saiva’aia, became a Methodist believer in Tonga in 1828, just two years after Methodism had first arrived in Tonga. He brought Methodism from Tonga to Samoa when he returned to Samoa later in 1828 with a group of Tongan Wesleyans. Saiva’aia historical contribution is referenced in a letter by Methodist missionary Peter Turner in 1836. However, his importance has been largely neglected. He has not been viewed in the same way as the arrival of the Western missionaries in the following years (1830, 1835, and 1845). In fact, there is a lot more to the early history of Methodism in Samoa than what has been recorded by the missionaries about the contribution of our ancestors.
The retelling of 1828 and other events in the history of Methodism in Samoa that is offered here adopt a more indigenous approach to church history. The role of indigenous Samoans in the arrival of Methodism in Samoa and significant indigenous contributions in later years will be examined and explained in eight chapters. Chapter 1 reveals the rationale and purpose of the thesis. Chapter 2 uses ethnohistory as a guide to highlight our Samoan history from our own perspective by employing indigenous and traditional Samoan practices. Chapter 3 links Tofā fa’asoa to the fa’aSamoa and Christian principles. Chapter 4 argues the fa’aSamoa and the indigenous religion were misunderstood, and our stories were marginalised and muted. Chapter 5 examines how the Methodist story in Samoa has been told from a European viewpoint and offers a more indigenous perspective and a more complete record. Chapter 6 explains the Samoan view on sacredness and its relation to the Wesleyan view on sanctification, focussing on the practice of class meetings. Chapter 7 discusses Methodism in Samoa today and suggests how God should be served by a church that is invigorated in holiness and in love. Chapter 8 highlights the distinctive arguments about the silent event and the fa’aSamoa values of respect and love that have an affinity with sanctification, which reveals the love of God that works in us by the Holy Spirit.
The intention of this thesis is to break the silence over 1828. In particular, it seeks to break the silence within the hearts, souls, and minds of our people, especially the Samoan Methodists, and to encourage them to appreciate, celebrate, and honour the sacrifices of our ancestors. With the work of the Holy Spirit on our ancestors, we worship God today through the Methodist Church in Samoa (MCS) because of their sacrifices.