Tonga and church

07/10/07 , by Posted by: admin

I should confess I am all over the place with my blogging. I am new to the blogging world and so as writing on the internet - please be gentle.

I think Tonga is at a crossroad and whatever the leading people in power at the present time decide in the next year or so, would be very crucial for where Tonga is heading. Obviously the King is where all stop, but those men and women he has gathered around him have very important responsibilities on their shoulders. One of those men is the Royal Chaplain- Rev Dr 'Ahio. The King appoints this position himself and it is a government paid job. 'Ahio is a noble tittle too, and on top of that he is the SUTT's secretary. Rev Dr 'Ahio is a very important man in Tonga and for Tonga!

If Tonga is struggling, as some quietly agree, I believe Tonga's only hope lies with the 'church'. I need to explain the 'church' I keep mentioning. I am thinking of the group of people Jesus refers to in John 17 (gospel). Jesus prayed that famous prayer for the disciples and He goes on to pray for the rest who may follow Him. I believe it is a prayer for the church. The church then becomes inclusive of us all who want to be following Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible! The church is also the establishment we are so used to in Tonga, although they come in different names. Those communities of faith are very strong cultural forces because so many of our cultural celebrations - be it weddings, funerals, birthdays and so forth - are heavily influenced by what denomination those people involved belong to.

I know that to say that Tonga's hope lies with the church is an ambitious statement, and in need of further explanation so let me have a shot. Tonga is regarded as a "christian" country and in the grand scheme of things, I think it can be class as one. When we look at the world map, and the many religions there are, it does make sense to say that Tonga is 'christian'. I suppose it is up to your own intepretation to focus in on where Tonga really is in terms of the weight of its christianity and as a so-called christian nation. To put more simply - how christian is Tonga?

When I read of Tonga's very young history, I see the huge influence christianity has on its culture. And from a very simple view, I can say that Tonga's culture is very much molded with alot of ingredients from the christian Bible.

If this is the case, then I can say the church has alot to answer for in Tonga. I know quite alot of people have in their minds there is a clear separation between the church and politics or church and the government, but I feel this is something way too complicated and way too important to brush through quickly and lightly. When you go to church on a Sunday, the very people who sit on the front seats of church services are the very same ones that sit on government offices the rest of the week. How then so many commentators easily separate the church and the government? I think it is easily said, that there should be a distinction between ones' involvement in politics and ones' task in the church, but may be there should be more articulate coversations on this.

I went to my old high school's annual sermon on the 4th July, and the preacher was none other than Rev Honorable Afu'alo Matoto. He has a 'Rev' attached to his name, and he is the Government Minister of Small Enterprises. Same as the Rev Hon Minister of Education- Mr Palefau.

For me, I think the church has a massive responsibilty! It derives from the fact that Tongans hold the church as an establishment very highly still. It is from this rough kind of observation of the way we value our churches that I believe Tonga's hope of a bright future lies. I say so, because I believe the intertwined of Tongan culture with chirstianity is so strong and complicated that the best place to grasp such complications is in our beautiful churches. Funny though this is the very place our young people find most annoying and most uninteresting this day and age. It is where you go if there is nothing else to do! So, for me one of the questions to be asked should be along the line of - what is the church's suppose to do if she has such important role for our beloved Tonga?

We often read of the fact that Tonga has a reputable ratio of the number of Phds holders per capita, which we immediately equate to a highly educated nation. But when you walk around Nuku'alofa, you wonder if this is really a capital worthy of a highly educated nation. Try getting something done in Tonga - anything that may require going to offices - it is far from smooth. So you struggle to marry the statistics of a well educated population with what's apparent in the Kingdom and its services. It does not make sense to read about the number of Tongans with Phds and the state of our nation economically too. I have my own suspicions, and it is something to do with the text book qualification (academic) not being enough! Whatever happened to creative exploring! Everything (in education system), has to be measured and tested! And as a result we lack the streetwise creativity because we are not given the space by our education system to do so! We are pressured to follow certain way because it is tested and measured in already formulated guidelines.

I believe education is a must for human development but we need something as an anchorage to our searching mind and soul. I think education, if not guided by deeper resources can become a waste and more dangerously, can be destructive.

We live in a hurried kind of culture where people, particularly young people, are being pushed into the market, to overcome the next round and into the next hurdle as quick as possible; and into the adult world. So, to me we need to slow down and not caught up in busyness. By busyness you lose perspective, you lose a sense of anchorage in yourself and in something deeper than yourself; you lose balance I think, very easily. This is where I call for the church to stand up! We need something deeper. It is no wonder 'spirituality' becomes very popular these days. Look at Yoga! It is amazing that people are starting to look for this calm settle anchorage anywhere but the church. I think this is where the church need to look at the questions it is trying to answer these days. May be people are asking a totally different sets of questions to those the church are trying to answer? I wonder!

I hope that by being all over the shop with my blogging raises a few things to ponder. And for us who are passionate about Tonga to may be start to think in a different and refreshing way. And to not be afraid as well. Make conversation in a more challenging way. But bye for now.

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• October 6, 2007, 5:32 am - Sione M. Veituna

  Hello to everyone

  While the short falls of the Tongan churches are obvious, I am sure we can think of something positive and constructive to do about it rather than just stepping on it. Exposing the fault(s) without providing a remedy is something we Christians could not afford to be engaging on.

  Ma'ananga
  Peniscola,
  Spain

• August 2, 2007, 9:40 pm - Seni Penitani

  Here in US--it's the same story

  I am so concerned with the next generation. They are going down the drain.

  Biblical giving & budgeting is not taught. Our people give and give and give ...even beyond what God has given to them.

• August 1, 2007, 10:16 am - Naki Misa

  Malo Seni e me'a mai!

  I think that it would be most useful for any organisation whether government, church, societal gatherings, clans etc to do a thorough stock take on its members.

  Factors to consider in this stock take in my view should include where members are, economically, morally, socially and also spiritually.

  It sometimes feels as if organisations turn a blind eye to its members situations and demand that as long as the organisation's culture is maintained and kept alive, then members must be must be alright.

  This is seen here in Aotearoa, where members struggle to make ends meet, and yet church buildings, and extravagant festivities don't reflect the low socio economic status of our people.

  I believe somehow that our spiritual convictions should be reflected in the way we live, whether culturally, socially or economically.

• August 1, 2007, 3:55 am - Senituli Penitani

  The church has failed to develop spiritual leaders....but has succeeded in developing busy preachers.

• August 1, 2007, 3:46 am - Seni Penitani

  Thanks Dave for stirring up those thoughts about our 'kingdom'.

  My observation is that the church has never grown up. It's like an undeveloped baby....It got retarded and crippled somewhere back in the last century. We should retrace where it has gone wrong....lots of professionals in the pulpits nowadays but very few men of God.

• July 12, 2007, 12:02 am - Naki Misa

  Gosh Bro,

  You've opened the can worms now...hehehe. Can I say that what you've said above in my view bears a lot of truth, and I particularly enjoy your removing "emotions" and the fact that you're a proud Tongan and choose to be frank and look constructively at how, who and what Tonga is. I do hold the same value.

  As a statistician I am always interested in gathering data, and scrutinizing it to see that they truely reflect what average bloke on the street sees. Although I have a few stats on Tonga's demographic and economic make up, however I'm privy to so much detailed data here in Aotearoa on Tonga, both quantitatively as well as some qualitative information.

  Education here in NZ is strongly linked to higher income, better standard of living and improved quality of health. I had thought that the trend you talked about regarding high achieving Tongans in education would lift the stats of Tongans in terms of the indicators mentioned above, but it hadn't. 59% of Tongans in New Zealand are considered low income earners (NZ standard). This is a huge challenge, to the NZ government but also to Tonga inadvertently.