Malua Centenary

History of Samoan Mission Training

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, Sept. 4. rE following year will be a year of anniversaries for Samoa: The Lon don Missionary Society has just cele brated the Centenary of the foundation of Malua Theological College (opened September 24, 1844); Sunday, December 3, will be the 50th anniversary of the death of Robert Louis Stevenson, at Vailima; and September, 1945, will mark the 100th year since the first Roman Catholic mis sionaries came to the Group.

The Malua centenary celebrations took place at Malua on August 8 and 9, in the presence of the Administrator, Mr. A.

C. Turnbull, representative Europeans and between eight and ten thousand

Samoans from both Western and Eastern Samoa. Owing to war travel restrictions, no representatives from the English mother institution or from other Pacific Islands were able to attend.

The programme consisted of religious services, addresses by European and Samoan missionaries, the staging of an historical tableau by the students, show ing the arrival of -the Rev. John Williams in Samoa, and the opening of a large Memorial Hall by the Administrator. The Memorial Hall, a large building in the Samoan style, with cement -posts and foundations, has been erected by the students of the College.

A special centenary gift of £4,000 was donated by the gathering during the cele brations. A special feature of the func tion was the sports events, including “fautasi” races and cricket.

The Rev. E. J. Edwards, the present principal of Malua, has written a concise

history of the institution during the past 100 years.

The College, the only institute of its kind in the South Sea Islands, has played an outstanding pan in the missionary history of the Pacific and its students (chiefly native Samoans, but some natives of other island groups) have spread the gospel and introduced Christianity to the islands of Niue, the Tokelaus, Ellice, Gil berts, New Hebrides and aided materially in the evangelisation of Papua, New Guinea and the Solomons, where many of them are still actively engaged.

Just as important has been the part students of Malua have played during the past hundred years as leaders of the religious, social and political life of the Samoan people themselves.

“TT was decided in March, 1844,” writes X the Rev. E. J. Edwards, “to com mence an educational institution for the training of native pastors, and the Rev. Charles Hardie and the Rev. George Turner, LL.D., were appointed to take charge of the work.

“The presence of Dr. Turner in Samoa at this time was a stroke of the greatest good fortune. In the year 1842, Mr. (later Dr.) Turner and Mr. Nisbet had been appointed to Tanna, in the New Heb rides. The prospects for evangelisation seemed bright, but in six short months the island tribes, led by their heathen priests, had leagued against the mission aries who were certain to be massacred if they did not immediately flee the island. This they attempted to do in an open boat and without provisions. With no time to waste, they hurried down to the beach at dead of night only to. find that a strong wind had set into the bay with a turbulent head-sea making escape impossible. There was nothing tp be done then but to prepare for the doom which seemed inevitable.

“Day dawned after a night of prayer, and there, to their astonishment and relief, they beheld a ship. It was the ‘Highlander’ on its way to Samoa, where they were landed in February, 1843.

“When in search of a site to erect the seminary, the chiefs and people in various places were so anxious that their district should be chosen that they offered, free of charge, as much land as might be needed. But the missionaries finally settled upon Malua, at that time ‘quite a bush.’ as Dr. Turner describes it, ‘and away from any settlement.’ The Samoans themselves were apt to give the place a wide berth, regarding it as spirit infested. However, the fishing was known to be good at this spot and a number of natural springs promised a constant supply of fresh water.

“The work was begun at once. The missionaries removed from their stations; some 25 acres of land were bought, and by September 24 the first class was opened. Dr. Turner tells how this class numbered 25 in all, with ages ranging from 10 to 20 years. The Samoans arranged themselves into three grades according to age and ability. First there were those who ‘can rear families and make taofolo (a breadfruit preparation)’ and these were the more numerous. The second grade were those who ‘can climb coconut palms and do secondary cooking,’ and finally, there were ‘the boys who can not make fire (this by the primitive pro cess of rubbing a pointed stick on a dry log),’ implying that they could only help with the lighter work.

“From the beginning it was felt that more could be done by the institution than the training of native pastors, and under Mr. J. B. Stair, who was respon sible for the printing work of the Society, a class was formed with the object of doing something for the brighter boys, and at the same time rais

ing the standard of village life and encouraging a type of Samoan youth who might take a lead in the social and commercial development of the land. They a°h ar e d a e rTy agf SS the institution at an eany age, oring g £ St|T g anTuifng to wlth e the “our students began to go, out at “£ s a y a u r r S „er oUr ‘fhe of demand Siversai for young men from the institution.’ There were always plenty of candidates for admission, but the selection was careful, and at the close of 15 years, 263 boys had been sent by missionaries from various parts of the Group to be trained at Malua.

“Marriage was no bar to admittance.

Indeed, if a choice had to be made between a married and single man, the married couple would be admitted, for the simple reason that the wife needed education as well as the husband. ‘We want a young man who has a wife who can teach our wives and daughters something ’ was the way in which the request was sometimes made when applying for a village pastor. Children were always accepted along with their parents and a day school was begun for them which was continued to the present day.

“T\R TURNER once said that the insti- I) tide was founded in order that 17 ! rv vnfa elto lamS should have

pef a ?nd

P±c n mlgSfre S

i tvipluq nrvt'nnlv to Samoa but also of the islands of Seas, it is possible to feel that this hope has, in large mea-

sure, been realised, and the story of the institution is one that might well glad den the hearts of those who saw the need for just such a seminary one hundred years ago,”