Question: Ever wonder how a church became so intertwined with the identity of a nation?
Here at the Siasi Uesiliana Tauataina o Tonga in Nuku’alofa, we stand before a testament to faith. It is a faith deeply woven into the fabric of Tongan history. This is more than just a church. It is a symbol of Tonga’s journey through independence and unity.
The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga has deep roots. Those roots are intertwined with the arrival of missionaries. They came from the London Missionary Society. Later, the Wesleyan Methodist Mission Society cemented its Methodist identity.
The Tongan Royal Family has always been closely linked. They linked to the Church since the Gospel first arrived. Many royals became prominent members. This close relationship makes the FWCT a de facto state church.
The Siasi Uesiliana Tauataina o Tonga came to be through the union of two churches. They were the Established Free Church of Tonga and the Wesleyan Church. The Wesleyan Church was still connected to the Methodist Church of Australasia.
Queen Sālote Tupou III united the Free Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1924. Her great-great-grandfather George Tupou I founded the Free Church. Some Free Church members called the Wesleyan Methodist Church the Siasi Fakaongo. This means Church of the Subservient ones. The relationship between the two was strained. Many remembered the crisis of 1885–1887.
Trouble began in 1885. Tupou I wanted total independence from foreign missionary intervention. He and his advisors initiated schism. Shirley Waldemar Baker played a big role. He was a former Wesleyan missionary and then-Premier. Tupou I demanded Tongans show loyalty to him. They had to abandon the Wesleyan Church for the new Free Church of Tonga. This led to persecution of Wesleyans. James Egan Moulton composed Wesleyan hymns. These hymns became central to ecumenism in Tonga.
By 1908 denominational rivalry lessened. The Anglican Bishop Alfred Willis joined Wesleyan Chairman Rodger Page and Free Church President Jabez B. Watkin. They united to petition against governmental corruption in Tonga.
Despite some Free Church opposition the reunion gained traction. It was finalized by the General Conference of 1924. Reverend Setaleki Manu became the first president of the reunited Free Wesleyan Church. Jabez Watkin rejected the union. He formed the Siasi ʻo Tonga Tauʻatāina or Church of Free Tonga. This had been the Free Church’s legal name since 1898.
Watkin broke his pact with the Queen and Wesleyan authorities. Queen Sālote dismissed him on the first day of the General Conference in 1924. The former president and 27 others walked out. They took about a sixth of the Free Church membership with them.
The Siasi ʻo Tonga Tauʻatāina broke completely with the united Church in 1930. They removed all references to the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. They cut ties to any denomination affiliated with the Australasian Methodist Connexion. The STT appointed Reverend Robert Gordon-Kirgan. He was a Presbyterian pastor from New Zealand. He succeeded Watkin as their new president.
During Gordon-Kirgan’s presidency disagreements arose. They arose with chiefs regarding church finances and presidential authority. This led to the founding of the Church of Tonga in 1928. Lord Fīnau ʻUlukālala led chiefs and ministers who were affronted.
Today the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga continues to thrive. It is the largest Christian denomination in Tonga. It runs 30% of the schools in Tonga. The current President is Rev. Dr. Tevita Koloaʻia Havea.
The Siasi Uesiliana Tauataina o Tonga stands as a beacon. It shines with history, resilience, and unwavering faith. Its story is a vital chapter. It is vital in the continuing saga of the Kingdom of Tonga.