“Half Naked” NZer on a mission to unite Samoan churches

Last Tuesday evening, Grant Holland was going from house to house at Tulaele in Samoa preaching church unity.

He was only wearing a light brown pair of shorts, no shirt and carried a stick but no bible.

Holland is a New Zealander who is  jointly charged with a Ms. Vaioleti Stowers with 12 charges of selling rental cars that had been rented from National Car Rentals and Samoana Rentals.

One of the houses he visited belongs to To’omaga Pati Leapai of Tulaele.

To’omaga’s daughter Paulua Suni knew who Holland was from the pictures in the newspaper, but because she was curious, she allowed Holland to state his business.

He said he has been in Samoa for more than 30 years doing ministerial outreach work and it was as part of that work that he was doing house to house preaching.

One of To’omaga’s relatives, visiting at the time, joined the conversation and pointed out to Holland that church ministers do not go around preaching God’s word half naked.

Holland countered by saying he uses the same style and method in New Zealand.

“You are not in New Zealand and it is not Samoan culture for faifeau’s [church ministers] to go around preaching to the people half naked,” said Ms. Suni.

Holland said the pending court case was “all lies”.

Initially he faced 15 charges.

However, three of the charges against him were withdrawn when he appeared in the Supreme Court earlier in the same day.

What the charges are and the reasons behind the decision were not explained in Court during the proceedings.

Holland has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

Source

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News category: Asia Pacific.

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