The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) is making an annual payment of $1.7 million to the Samoa National Provident Fund (SNPF) on a $15.11 million loan. The loan from the was taken out to assist with the building of their $17.39 million Jubilee Church and for and other developments. The Church’s Komiti o Feau Eseese Read more
Aso Lino Mika, 51, felt under pressure from her Samoan church in Christchurch to help store the pork at her Stanmore Rd dairy. Read more
A Maserati-driving pastor who owns $4 million of property needs to be more open and transparent about his church’s finances, former members say. Murray Watkinson, a former carpet layer who sold his carpet business in Wellington in 1975 after “encountering God in a supernatural way”, began the Celebration Centre church in 1990 in Aranui with Read more
In Samoa, critics of the new tax laws used language that was so strong and emotive that it led to one government official shedding tears. Church ministers did not mince words when they expressed anger and disappointment at the Samoan government’s decision to tax their incomes – and gratuities – starting on 1 January 2018. Read more
A pastor in Samoa feels he has been duped over a Bill taxing pastors that was signed in July this year. He has discovered that the Bill legalising the taxing of church ministers is not limited to the “alofa” or contributions made by members. “I am sad because we were not informed about this during Read more
The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS) dedicated their new Jubilee church (Fale Iupeli) at the headquarters Malua last Thursday. The dedication ceremony started with various church district presenting gifts in a traditional Ta’alolo and the Mafutaga Aoao a Tina – the Church Women’s Council presented fine mats, siapo and a monetary gift of $2 million Read more
The Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica, in Hagåtña, Guam, incurred $1.9 million in new debt during the past two and a half years, and it is having difficulty paying it back. The cathedral has been placed in an internal receivership, which has taken over its financial management and operations to help pay off its Read more
Why is the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch worrying about how to fund rebuilding the Cathedral? After all the public land records show Diocese has $320 million “empire” of cash and properties. Why not, for example sell the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tekapo to help fund the rebuild? But a diocese, Anglican or Catholic, Read more
Not every one in Samoa thinks churches are asking their congregations for too much money. “I am a Catholic and the church leaders are trying to help the people by making obligations not so tough,” says Timu Iakopo, from the parish of Safotu in Savai’i. “An example is that they have stopped the practice of Read more
Rev. Elder Dr. Elia Taase has called for justice in the use of offerings by church members some of whom hardly have enough to take care of their families. He also said church elders, some with little formal education, who have passed on, understood that holistic education, is concerned with the education of the “mind, body Read more