Channeling In to find

The launch of televangelism in Samoa

Story and pictures by CHRIS PETERU

The mood of optimism is almost tangible at the Rhema Christian Centre near Apia, as staff at Television Gracelands broadcasting studios bring televangelism into thou sands of Samoan homes.

Heading the hi-tech crusade is the Reverend Ricky Meredith, and his wife.

Marge, who manage the country’s Christian television network which went on air this month.

The Merediths have been instrumental in bringing Christian broadcasting into the country. In 1994, out of their own pockets, they established Radio Graceland EM 106, the island’s first gospel station. Amidst some scepticism about how a non-profit station could survive, Radio Graceland held its own against two other stations on the island run by the govemnment and pri vate interests. With a bilingual format of Christian music, teaching and preaching, the station gathered support from a wide section of the community. The Reverend Meredith believes that the success formula can be repeated with TV Graceland.

“The vision, I guess, is to bring the truth, preach the truth and let people make their decisions. Give people the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s my aim in terms of the radio and television stations.”

It’s been a lengthy haul from the draw ing board to the end result. The concept for bringing televangelism into the country

started three years ago following an approach from the United States-based Trinity Broadcasting Network. TBN came here because they heard we had a radio sta tion and said they were interested in start ing a Christian TV station. I said: “OK, I’m your man.

“We approached the prime minister and he was very supportive of it and, since then, they just went on and started doing it.”

But the station came near to being shelved on several occasions. “We just prayed that it would go through, it was all God’s doing,” says the pastor.

Since going to air in the early 1980 s, TBN’s growth globally has been phenome nal, with over 600 stations around the world plus cable networks. While the majority of the stations are in the US, they have also located to Europe, the Middle East and South America.

A multi-million-dollar turnover allows TBN to provide most of the financing, technical support plus 80 per cent of the programming; the remainder being pro duced locally with a nearly ready-to-roll mobile unit and a production studio at the Rhema centre.

“We’ll have programmes of my church and also other churches. We have been going around filming Christian events to pile them up as part of the Samoan input.”

Unlike the Christian station in neighbour ing Tonga which has some secular content

to help offset running costs, TBN empha sises 100 per cent Christian programmes which Television Graceland wants to main tain.

At the moment, only one of three intended transmitters has been installed on Mt Fiamoe to cover the capital, Apia, and parts of Savaii, the other main island.

When all the transmitters eventually come on line - in September - programmes will be available across the country and into American Samoa.

“This is just a beginning. There are so many islands in the Pacific that do not have this facility yet. So, I want to look at doing this throughout the Pacific - Christian radio and television.”

Most of the reaction to Television Graceland has been positive, though there were rumblings from some quarters about whether the content was culturally correct.

“I know I’ve had adverse reactions from the mainline churches because they think I am bringing in a different culture. I believe it is too early to make such a statement until they have seen the programming first.

We are not bringing in anything that is rad ically different from what is in the Bible.

What we are bringing into the country is exactly what is in the word of God, not something that we just pull out of the blue.

The programmes are all biblically based.

TBN is also biblically based. Otherwise they would not have been blessed by God.”

In reality, many mainline churches in Samoa have been caught up in blinkered power struggles which have provided an open door for alternative styles of worship that thousand of Samoans have been turn

ing to.

Founded in the 19705, the Peace Chapel is a church seen as a likely model for Samoan congregations of the future, with a strong diverse membership and a reputa tion as forward thinking. Its pastor, the Reverend Milo Siilata, sees televangelism as having the potential to contribute posi tively to Samoans’ spiritual lives by show ing alternative ways to express praise and worship.

“Wherever you go and preach the gospel, it’s going to be wrapped up in the culture of the people taking the message, which is what happened when the mission aries came here. As long as those running the station have the wisdom and sensitivity to acknowledge that, it will happen. Praise the Lord.

“But the downside is we will get the bombardment of American culture as well.

TV Graceland studios...linking up with God

The prosperity theology that many American Christian programmes espouse [they say that every Christian must be a millionaire and if you are not there’s some thing wrong with your life] has to be put into context.

“If these people look well off on TV, it’s another cultural thing again because, in America, for you to be on TV again, you have to look like a million dollars, but it can really project a false image to think that we all have to wear three-piece suits and we all have to drive around in Mercedes.

“That could confuse a lot of people and bring about a lot of self-condemnation because if I’m a Christian [in Samoa], how come God gives another Christian a four wheel and here I am catching the bus? So, you end up with all this confusion.

“But I think our people are ready - no doubt about it. And I thank the Lord for what’s happening in Samoa. I think it’s an issue the mainline churches will have to deal with because it is here to stay.

“Of course, there has been a lot of abuse in televangelism. But you can’t crit icise the whole body of Christ because of the actions of a few,” says the Rev Siilata.

The movement lost credibility when

several leading lights faltered - prominent

televangelists such as the Rev Jimmy

Swaggart was photographed cavorting

with prostitutes, and Jim and Tammy Baker were accused of million-dollar tax evasion which landed Jim Baker a jail sen tence.

Bom-again Christian Greg Vaafusuaga

says the prosperity message pushed by American televangelism could backfire in a developing nation. “If it’s led by the Holy Spirit, it will be instructive, if not it will be destructive. It’s like watching rugby there are some games you want to watch and some games you want to tape over.”

In an industry where the advertising dollar is king, the new station will not be focusing on ratings or advertising strate gies but rely on goodwill and providence from above to pay the overheads.

Televise Samoa will continue to screen nightly 20-minute prayer services in Samoan during peak-time viewing and several hours of live church broadcasts every Sunday evening.

“We are completely different from what Televise Samoa is putting over and what cable is putting over. As I said, those are

secular programmes and we are doing Christian programming which is an alter native for people to make a choice on what they want to view. There is a freedom of choice there because right now people only have TVS and the video shops.”

With so many non-mainstream beliefs

who collectively are making major

inroads into numbers attending the tradi tional churches in Samoa, TV Graceland will not be used as platform for cult bash ing, says the Rev Meredith. TVS has fre quently broadcast local and overseas pro grammes featuring the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints services and events and the Bahai Faith.

“I’m not concerned about cults coming here. I’m concerned about Christians not getting off there backsides and doing what God told them to do. That’s my concern to motivate Christians, the ones called in God’s name to get out and preach the Gospel because the Gospel brings truth and life. It’s not going against the cults that bring truth and life, it’s preaching and dis tributing the truth - there’s a big differ ence. All I can say is this is just the begin ning of what God is going to do in this country.” ■