Church of Tuvalu

Te Ekalesia Kelesiano Tuvalu
Classification Protestant
Orientation Calvinist
Polity Congregational
Associations
Region Tuvalu
Founder Elekana
Origin 1861
Separated from London Missionary Society, Christian Congregational Church of Samoa
Congregations 18[3]
Members 9,715[4]

The Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu (Tuvaluan: Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu, EKT), commonly the Church of Tuvalu, is the state church of Tuvalu, although in practice this merely entitles it to "the privilege of performing special services on major national events".[5] Its adherents comprise about 97% of the 12,000 inhabitants of the archipelago, and theologically it is part of the Reformed tradition.[3]

The Constitution of Tuvalu guarantees freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice, the freedom to change religion, the right not to receive religious instruction at school or to attend religious ceremonies at school, and the right not to "take an oath or make an affirmation that is contrary to his religion or belief".[6]

History

Christianity first came to Tuvalu in 1861 when Elekana, a deacon of a Congregational church in Manihiki, Cook Islands became caught in a storm and drifted for eight weeks before landing at Nukulaelae.[7][8] Elekana began proselytising Christianity. He was trained at Malua Theological College, a London Missionary Society school in Samoa, before beginning his work in establishing the Church of Tuvalu. In 1865, the Rev A. W. Murray of the London Missionary Society – a Protestant congregationalist missionary society – arrived as the first European missionary where he too proselytised among the inhabitants of Tuvalu.

By 1878, Christianity was well-established with preachers on each island. At the end of the 19th century, the ministers of what became the Church of Tuvalu were predominantly Samoans, who influenced the development of the Tuvaluan language and the music of Tuvalu.[7][9] In 1969, the Church acquired its independence from the LMS, since which time it has sent some missionaries to serve Tuvaluan migrants in Fiji, New Zealand, Hawaii, Australia, and the Marshall Islands.[10][11]

The former Governor-General of Tuvalu, Rev Sir Filoimea Telito, presided most recently over the Church until his death in July 2011.[12][13] The Church currently publishes a bulletin in the Tuvaluan and English languages.

Currently the president of the church is Reverend Penitusi Taeai and the seceretary general is Rev. Tafue Lusama.[14]

Beliefs

The Church is Calvinist in doctrine and congregational in organisation. There is no women's ordination. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are generally accepted. Being the de facto state church, the Church of Tuvalu dominates most aspects of social, cultural and political life in the country. The Church operates Fetuvalu High School, a day school which is located on Funafuti.[15][16][17]

Relations

The Church is a member of the World Association for Christian Communication, the Boys' Brigade International Fellowship,[1] the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Council of Churches and the Pacific Conference of Churches. It also has ties with the Methodist Church in Fiji, the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa, the Kiribati Uniting Church, the Uniting Church in Australia and the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in New Zealand.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 :- Global Fellowship of Christian Youth / ORGANISATION -:
  2. ↑ "World Communion of Reformed Churches". World Communion of Reformed Churches.
  3. 1 2 "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions".
  4. 1 2 "Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu".
  5. ↑ "2010 Report on International Religious Freedom - Tuvalu", United States Department of State
  6. ↑ Constitution of Tuvalu, article 23.
  7. 1 2 Laumua Kofe, Palagi and Pastors, Tuvalu: A History, Ch. 15, U.S.P. & Tuvalu (1983)
  8. ↑ Goldsmith, Michael (2008). "Chapter 8, Telling Lives in Tuvalu". Telling Pacific Lives: Prisms of Process. London: ANU E Press.
  9. ↑ Munro, D. (1996). "D. Munro & A. Thornley (eds.) The Covenant Makers: Islander Missionaries in the Pacific". Samoan Pastors in Tuvalu, 1865-1899. Suva, Fiji, Pacific Theological College and the University of the South Pacific. pp. 124–157.
  10. ↑ "Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu". Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu".
  12. ↑ "The Rev. Filoimea Telito passed away", Tuvalu News, 22 July 2011
  13. ↑ "State Funeral of the late former Governor General of Tuvalu, Reverend Sir Filoimea Telito, GCMG, MBE" (PDF). Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter (TPB: 01/2011). 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  14. ↑ Corlew, Laura (2012). "The cultural impacts of climate change: sense of place and sense of community in Tuvalu, a country threatened by sea level rise" (PDF). Ph D dissertation, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Fetuvalu High School (Funafuti)". Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  16. ↑ Semi, Diana (23 November 2006). "Fetuvalu High School ends the year with a prize giving day". Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  17. ↑ Holowaty Krales, Amelia (10 March 2011). "TB Workshop at Fetu Valu Secondary School". Retrieved 20 November 2012.
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