The matter was not on the agenda for this year's national conference which ended last week and the church says policy dictates that any resolution can only be revisited after three years. Read more

The church's chairman, Tauti'aga Senara, and his deputy, Tunumoso Iosia, are scheduled to be the first to appear in the
Samoa District Court.

Over 10 ministers have been charged with tax avoidance so far under a new law which compels all church ministers to pay taxes on donations from church members. Read more

The Minister for Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, said his ministry estimated more than 250 ministers of the church owed $US2500 each in unpaid tax for the first six months of the year.

"As of last week, we have given all the banks a list of names of the church ministers whose personal accounts will be affected by this seizure," said Tialavea.

He said if the ministers don't have any money, the government will seize their cars and lands, whatever assets they own, which have a market value.

"We will take and again, this is done under the authority of the law."

Tialavea said the law was passed in January 2018 and all the church denominations complied, except the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS).

"Well, the law applies to everyone. The law does not wait until it is accepted or not.

"We have given church ministers six months and those who continue to defy the law will face the consequences."

Workers making up to $US5900 dollars or 15,000 talas do not pay tax under reforms announced late last year.

Church ministers are included in this exemption.

But "Unless you file your taxes, we cannot determine which one makes less than the threshold," the revenue minister said.

"However, once the church ministers have filed their taxes and it's less, we will refund them."

The chairman of the Samoan Bankers Association, Tu'u'u Amaramo Sialaoa, said the banks are caught in the middle between the Ministry of Revenue and the customers.

"However, the law is the law and obviously we need to comply with the law," he said.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

The station had incurred losses since its launch four years ago and the conference looked at a recommendation to either shut it down or lease it out. Read more

and also read Proposal to sell Church TV

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 tala. (NZ$1.1 million)

After the Taalolo, the christening ceremony followed, with Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese cutting the ribbon to open building while the Chairman of the Church, Reverend Elder Tautiaga Senara conducted the service.

The ceremony was attended by the head of state, Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, the prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, members of the council of deputies, cabinet ministers, leaders of other denominations, parliamentarians, members of the business community and hundreds of guests.

After the guests were seated, The Church General Secretary, Reverend Vavatau Taufao announced the only media to be allowed inside was the EFKS TV which is owned by the church.

The Samoa Observer reported that Vavatau has refused to speak to their reporter.

He insisted that he wanted to talk only to a reporter from Radio New Zealand International.

Difficulties have been encountered in completing the project including delays, questions surrounding loans raised, the cost of contruction matertials and difficulties with contactors.

The exact cost of the project and the extent of the remaining debt remains unclear.

News organisations have suggested different amounts. The confusion is increased by the fact that the amounts quoted are in Samoan tala, US dollars and in some cases the currency is not specified.

It appears however that the total cost is in the region of 17 million tala (NZ$9.6 million).

Vavatau said criticism of the church spending too much on constructing church buildings rather than the welfare of the people was an important matter to be considered.

"It is the people that agreed to build this, even though it is expensive it is their choice. But as General Secretary I believe that this is a living testimony of church prayer,"

Source

• talamua.com
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws

"The churches take a lot of money from the people and we need to change the attitude of ministers," she said.

"They are not God. They go to church that supposedly help(s) the people to embrace values that are written in the bible, but they don't."

Leulua'ialii was speaking after Samoa's court of appeal has ruled that the Elders Committee of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa's removal the elder was illegal.

The judgment said dismissed elder's right to observance of the principles of natural justice was not honoured.

The supreme court, last year, had ruled in favour of the church.

Woodroffe has been acting on behalf of a Congregation Christian Church elder Reverend Kerita Reupena who whom the Elders Committee removed from his position while he was serving in Queeensland.

The sacking followed an internal dispute over the tenure of another minister in Sydney and a separate issue of allocation of church money to a parish on the island of Savai'i.

In 2015 Reupena took legal action against the Elders Committee for unlawful dismissal.

In May of that year the court issued an injunction which reinstated Reupena to the position.

The church ignored the injunction while also seeking a clarification from the Chief Justice.

Subsequently Chief Justice Patu ruled against Reupena's claim and dismissed the case.

The Chief Justice also dismissed an interim injunction.

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws
• samoaobserver.ws
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

"I am not going to wait for my roles as a church minister to be restored. I am going to leave and return to my family and serve using my matai titles as I believe it is not the importance of one's role but to serve honestly," said Opapo.

On Tuesday, the Congregational Christian church of Samoa's elders committee issued a written decision saying Opapo was dismissed because he had acted disobediently when he in took his daughter to Rome.

He also "failed to remove the statues of Jesus and Mary inside village church as not in line with the beliefs of the Congregational Christian church."

Opapo refutes the accusation. He said he did seek and obtained the approval of the Chairman to accompany his daughter to Rome and that the Chairman had twisted the reasons when differences developed in the village that resulted in the banishment of high chiefs of the village and district.

He also explained that he and his wife knelt and apologised to the Chairman and were assured things were alright after that.

The church members and Opapo and his wife made the traditional apology - ifoga on a Sunday which was accepted by the Chairman as he kept the fine mat that covered Opapo during the apology.

Opapo's daughter Toaipuapuaga (Toa) is due to return to Samoa next Tuesday 28 March. In Rome she gave birth to a baby daughter Agnes Federicca Margitalia "who is healthy and if it was from the devil, she would not have lived as a gift from Jesus," said Opapo.

He said all the messages and clothes worn by Toa- torn and bloodied during the stigmata occurrence have been handed over to the Vatican for further investigation.

The process of the Catholic Church regarding the investigation of such matters will need to be completed with the formal submission from the Archbishop in Samoa to the Cardinal in Wellington, New Zealand then to Rome.

Opapo hopes Toa, who is now under the complete supervision of the Catholic church would share her experience in Rome with the people when se retirns, as she did after the stigmata occurrence last year.

Source

• talamua.com
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: i.ytimg.com

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 and soul."

Taase congratulated the Kanana Fou Theological Seminary faculty for their work in preparing those who will serve as missionaries either in Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa (CCCAS) parishes or foreign countries.

But he observed if the graduates cannot do something about their bodies at Kanana Fou, what will happen when they go out to parishes where food is a sign of a congregation's love for their faifeau (pastor).

Taase also has questions about how church resources were being used. He told delegates he had heard that none of the construction contracts that the church put out were completed within the bid amounts.

He said after the contracts were awarded, the contractors sought additional money.

Taase said he's been told that the projects ended up costing twice the bid amounts.

He recalled historical events where farmers, the poor and down trodden, lost their lands, or short changed by the traders and the wealthy, and they could not seek relief from the courts because justice had been bought.

He told delegates they will be given a lot of documents during the assembly, and they should read them carefully as they are reports from the various church committees detailing their work in the past year.

He suggested that as delegates chosen by their parishes to the fono tele (village meeting) they should use the information given them to base their decisions on how to make use of church resources and improve on the missionary work of the CCCAS.

Source

• talanei.com
• Image: ytimg.com

EFKS TV was launched in May 2013 at a cost, which has been variously reported, to be between half a million and 1.1 tala.

The money was provided by members and the Council for World Mission in Singapore and London.

During the discussion at Malua, some members of the church expressed concerns at the costs of running the station. Some of them doubted that it could be profitable.

However, the Church leaders are optimistic. Secretary General, Reverend Elder Dr. Iutisone Salevao, believes the Network will generate revenue in the coming years.

The Samoa Observer reports that an internal document says that the actual income from the TV station fell short of the amount predicted.

The document also recommended a reduction in the number of staff employed by EFKS TV.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Obsever
• Image: Samoa Observer