Churches are everywhere in Samoa.
Large, imposing buildings with elaborate architecture stand alongside smaller village churches. They are prominent in towns and scattered through communities across the islands: a visible reminder of the central place Christianity holds in Samoan life.
Around 98 per cent of Samoa’s population identifies as Christian. According to national census data, the largest denomination is the Congregational Christian Church, followed by Roman Catholics, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Methodists and Assemblies of God. Seventh-day Adventists account for around 5 per cent of the population.
In a country where almost everyone already identifies as Christian, the mission challenge is therefore different: how does the Adventist Church connect with people who, in many cases, already have a deeply established Christian faith and church community?
Samoa and Tokelau Mission president Pastor Afiipu Tuaoi believes the distinctiveness of the Adventist message provides an opportunity.
“I think it makes it easier for us as Christians to share the uniqueness of our message with others,” he said.
He pointed particularly to the three angels’ messages, the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, and the biblical Sabbath—teachings he said many Christians in Samoa may not have encountered in the same way before.
“That’s what stands the Seventh-day Adventist Church out amongst other Christian groups, and just our way of living,” Pastor Tuaoi said.
That way of living includes another aspect of Adventism that is particularly relevant to Samoa right now: health.
Pastor Tuaoi described the country as facing a health crisis and believes the Adventist Church has both an opportunity and a responsibility to respond.
“The uniqueness of our message in terms of the health message is very helpful to the Samoan people,” he said.
Through initiatives such as the 10,000 Toes campaign, Adventists have been increasing their focus on health screening and lifestyle education in communities.
Pastor Tuaoi believes the timing is significant, particularly with Samoa’s Minister of Health Va’aaoao Salumalo Alofip being a Seventh-day Adventist.
“I really believe that this is God’s timing for us as a denomination, as a church, and that the health message is a key message that needs to go out throughout Samoa,” he said.
He has challenged local Adventists not to allow others to take the lead in an area that has historically been an important part of the Church’s message and mission.
“What I’ve seen in other countries where we as Adventists have the health message, we may have fallen behind in [sharing] this and others have taken the mantle to do that. And we in Samoa, we can fall easily into that same trap. And so that’s the challenge that we have in this quinquennium in taking forward the health message.”
Looking beyond Samoa for Christ, one of the major strategies is small groups.
“This is something we have emphasised pre-campaign, and a lot of churches have already started small groups as we have emphasised to them the importance of small groups,” Pastor Tuaoi said.
The aim is to provide a welcoming environment where newcomers can develop relationships and become comfortable within their new church community.
“When you have a small group, people can feel comfortable to share and know those in that small group,” he said. “Then when they come to church on Sabbath, they see these people, and so they feel more comfortable in church as they get to know the wider group.”
The Mission is also looking ahead to OneVoice27, with leaders developing a strategy for involving churches and members across Samoa.
A big camp is also being considered as another opportunity to nurture those who have connected with the Church through Samoa for Christ, while local pastors will be expected to develop initiatives suited to the needs of newcomers in their own congregations.
“So there’s a lot of work that will go in post-campaign as well, where a lot of follow-up will be done by the local pastors, church elders and the leadership team,” Pastor Tuaoi said.
