New Church For

Nukualofa

A WEEK, of festivity marked the open ing of the new church building of the Church of Tonga. Her Majesty Queen Salote Tupou attended the dedi cation service on May 14.

In 1924. the original Free Church of Tonga merged with the Wesleyan Church

of Tonga into what is now called the Wesleyan Free Church of Tonga.

Those who disagreed with this idea at the time started churches of their own, hence there are now two offshoots, the Free Church of Tonga and the Church of Tonga.

The Church of Tonga claims to have a membership of 7,000, and has branches in Ha’apai and Vava’u. Its Tongan president is the Rev. Nafetalai Siola’a.

Its vice-president, the Rev. Saimone Taumoepeau, designed, and superin tended the erection, of the new building.

Two surveyors visited Mangaia, Cook Islands in May and surveyed, between the villages of Tavaenga and Atuakoro, an area suitable for an aerodrome. It is proposed to make Mangaia a link in the Pacific air chain. Our Mangaia cor respondent remarks: “It will be interest ing to see what effect air traffic has on this ‘forbidden island’ —so far It has re sisted every innovation and Is still 98 per cent, unsurveyed/’

The New Church of Tonga.