The Ponsonby News has had good feedback from readers about our series on local churches.
As previously stated, our sense of community has been eroded by the neo-liberal philosophy, which champions the free unencumbered market at the expense of individual wellbeing. Our churches foster community and so, along with the recent wellbeing budget, I feel some hope of a more just and fair New Zealand going forward. (JOHN ELLIOTT) johnelliott38@outlook.com
The Tongan Methodist Church
I spent a very pleasant hour with Rev Siutaisa Tukutau, Minister of the Tongan Methodist Church on Richmond Road, Grey Lynn. Also present at the meeting was the church secretary, Taina Tupou.
The Reverend Tukutau has been at Vaine Mo’onia, Ponsonby (the Richmond Road church) for five years, since becoming ordained. She came to New Zealand in 1987 to train for the priesthood. As well as her bible school training, she has completed a Bachelor of Theology from Auckland University.
Siutaisa and Taina are both charming people, who are a credit to their church.
The Richmond Road church has a congregation of around 500, mainly Tongans, but with a sprinkling of Palagi, and Maori. They are of the Free Wesleyan Church group, which is the most prevalent Christian fellowship in Tonga. Mormons have a developing presence in Tonga, too.
Tongan woman, Rev Setaita Kinahoi Veikune, is the President of the New Zealand Methodist Church – a real honour.
The preaching is mainly in the Tongan language, with most preachers using a smattering of English in their sermons.
I suggested that the large number of children at their church meant an opportunity for the young members to retain their Tongan language, but it seems the need to speak English in school and the New Zealand community, means their native language is soon lost. “We speak Tongan to our children,” Rev Tukutau told me, “but they mainly speak back in English.”
The children have Sunday school, then there is a youth group (they are generally retaining their teenagers), and a young families group. Taina Tupou is the convenor of the young families, friends and children’s group. He and his wife have a 13-year-old daughter.Services are every Sunday at 12 noon, with Wednesday’s at 7pm. They sing traditional Methodist hymns, as well as some contemporary ones. They have youth bands, with their own instruments. These bands perform at services. The church also has a brass band.
Young church members are encouraged to run things for themselves, rather than have programmes dictated by adults. “This encourages youth leadership,” both Taina and Siutaisa told me.
Rev Tukutau is a widow, whose husband was also a Methodist minister before he passed away. They have two boys and two girls. There are other women faifekau (as ministers are called) in the Tongan Methodist church – five in New Zealand, with two others training.
The Richmond Road church has 73 lay preachers among its congregation who all get to preach at least once a year. Other ministers come from time to time from outside churches. “Those that come from Tonga usually say they are on holiday and don’t really want to preach,” jokes the Rev Tukutau. She goes to Conference in Tonga each year, she told me.
When I visited one Sunday a while ago, I was struck by the mass of young children milling around having fun, all part of the family church outing each week. It is a colourful, joyous scene, and we at Ponsonby News wish them well. They are a decided asset to our community.