Our future inheritance –‘claim it or lose it’

We have struggled much, learned much, survived through many different phases of socio-economic changes and though still confronting economic challenges and downturns throughout our traditional, religious and political history, writes Bishop Tutai Pere in this week's Church Talk column.

Deuteronomy 28: 12 & 13, “The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure…rain unto thy land in His season…bless all the work of thine hand…thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13, The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and not beneath, if that thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God…to observe and do”.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 will mark an historic and milestone 200 years Anniversary Celebration of the Arrival of Christianity, first on the island of Aitutaki, back in 1821.

From that very day, our country was founded and born into the Christian faith of the Hebrew and Jewish people of the Bible.

The Right Reverend John Williams, a Congregational Minister from England, together with two native Tahitian missionaries Papeiha and Vahapata set foot on Aitutaki, thus began the long history of missionary work, activities and education under the banner of the London Missionary Society (LMS).

They were followed by Aaron Buzacott the elder (also of British descent), a Congregational colleague of John Williams who settled in Rarotonga from 1828 to 1857. He was instrumental in the establishment of Takamoa Theological College in 1839, erected both the two-storey missionary headquarter building in Takamoa and the Avarua CICC Church in 1840, was an author of ethnographic works, and co-translator of the King James Bible into the Rarotonga local vernacular.

Buzacott, who was a central figure in the South Seas missionary work of the London Missionary Society, retired for ill health in Australia and died on September 20, 1864 and was buried in the Congregational burying ground in Devonshire Street, Sydney on September 21.

While committed to construction works on Rarotonga, Buzacott received word of the martyrdom of his colleague the Reverend John Williams. He was killed and eaten at Dillon’s Bay by local cannibals on the island of Erromanga in the New Hebrides, now named Vanuatu, while attempting to bring them the Gospel, together with another missionary colleague James Harris on November 20, 1839.

I personally swum across Dillon’s Bay river together with a local guide Tom Poiri to visit, witness and pay homage to where John Williams and Harris were buried. Williams was only 43 years old when he died.

In December 2009 descendants of John and Mary Williams travelled to Erromanga to accept the apologies of descendants of the cannibals in a ceremony of reconciliation.

To mark the occasion Dillon’s Bay was renamed Williams Bay. John Williams’ remains (bones) were removed and shipped to Apia, Samoa for burial.

A monument was erected in front of the LMS Church of Apia, named after John Williams to commemorate his work in the Samoan islands.

As the Right Reverend John William’s legacy remained prominent in the minds, hearts and soul of so very many early converts, our local Cook Islands missionaries were trained by the London Missionary Society (LMS) by both Papaa and native Tahitian missionaries.

This propelled the new faith to spread from island to island, to even as far as the Isle of Pines, Mare and Lifou in New Caledonia, and to Papua New Guinea, where many died and several sealed their faith by suffering martyrdom in Jesus Christ.

In brief I note the following spread of Christianity in the Cook Islands by the LMS: 1. Aitutaki – 26, Oct, 1821; 2. Ngaputoru – Atiu – 19 July, 1823; 3. Mitiaro – 21 July 2023; 4. Mauke – 22 July, 1823; 5. Rarotonga – 25 July, 1823; 6. Mangaia – 16 July 1824; 7. Manihiki – 8 August, 1849; 8. Rakahanga – 15 August 1849; 9. Tongareva – 13 March, 1854; 10. Pukapuka – 6 Dec. 1857; 11. Nassau – 6  Dec. 1857; 12. Palmerston – 25 May, 1863.

The LMS finally changed to the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) on 25 April 1967, 54 years to date. 

An Early Church writer Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Christian Church”, recapitulating the Early Church first Christian martyr Deacon Stephen (Acts 7:59, 60), all Apostles of Jesus Christ who sealed their faith in their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by suffering much persecutions and martyrdom, first at the hands of Jewish, second Romans, and third Gentile persecutors, Nazi, Communistic, Islamic and global anti-Semitism to this day.

I was so touched and moved by an open speech made by the newly invested Tangitamaiti Tereapii Numangatini Ariki of Mangaia at the official opening of our new Apostolic Church Building last October 10, 2020 in Te Makatea, Oneroa, Mangaia when he said, “Numangatini Ariki has many offspring of Mangaian descents who have joined other Christian Faiths all around the world, it is my heart’s desire and prayer that I bring them all back to celebrate the 200 years Anniversary Celebration of the Arrival of Christianity to Mangaia on July 16, 2024”.

We as fellow Cook Islanders are Who and What we are today because of what our forebear Ui Ariki, traditional leaders, fore-parents have done, receiving and accepting the new faith of Christianity; placed it upon their thighs as ‘tama u’a’, revered and upheld since 1821, 200 years to date.

Up until another offspring they now call political, governmental ‘tama peniamina’ last born, when on 4 August 1965 the Cook Islands attained full internal self-government in free association with New Zealand, retaining their New Zealand citizenship, 56 years to date, all now incorporated as the ‘three pillars’, nga tuanga akateretere e toru.

We have struggled much, learned much, survived through many different phases of socio-economic changes and though still confronting economic challenges and downturns throughout our traditional, religious and political history.

Yet our faith in our Almighty God and Saviour Jesus Christ, despite all odds holds us still – measle free, Covid free, cyclone free, riot free, travel free to our outer islands, and almost 100 per cent solar energy saving.

We see communist China stretching and muzzling out its economic tentacles already roping in almost all tiny, little island nations of the South Pacific; Arab oil-rich Muslim nations raising their prices of oil soon to dry up; nuclear super power nations like Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, India and Pakistan raising their power hungering eyebrows at each other as if who should dare make the first move.

Lest we forget, our God is still the same yesterday, today and forever; He still is a Way-maker, Miracle-Worker, Promise-Keeper, and Light in the darkness.

As our opening scripture declares, “He promises good treasure, will bless the works of our hands, lend to many nations and not borrow. Shall make us head, not tail; above only and not beneath…”

Deposited on our ocean floor are rich, rich manganese nodules and nowhere else in the whole wide world, is our goldmine, our future inheritance, our good treasure, will sure bring all nations to borrow while we lend; our turn to be the head, not the tail; above only and not beneath, to beg and loan no more.

Let us humble ourselves in the presence of our Almighty Creator and Maker of the heavens and the earth and all there is within, the climate, environments, biodiversity, marine, aerial and land life.

He can reconcile, restore, He will grant our heart’s desire: “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Our future inheritance – claim it or lose it. God save, bless, preserve, heal and prosper our beloved Ipukarea Kuki Airani. Kia Orana e Kia Manuia rava!

• Bishop Tutai Pere is also the chair of the Seabed Minerals Advisory Committee.

Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features