Samoa churches

One of the churches that also held a service on Friday evening was the Congregational Christian Church Samoa at Vaigaga.

Led by Reverend Tautua, the service included messages for everyone during this Christmas celebrations is to remember that the birth of Jesus symbolises the birth of light in the world.

He also said that with everything that is happening around the world.

 "We must not forget God is powerful and rules over our world. 

"May we welcome Christmas through God's will and love upon each and every one of us."

The Samoan Methodist Church and Samoa 2019 held a ceremony to mark the handover of the site.

"On behalf of the Government of Samoa and the Games Organising Committee, I would like to thank the President and the Methodist Church for availing the Faleula Methodist Compound for the XVI Pacific Games," said Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio, the Samoa 2019 chairman.

"Through this wonderful support from the Methodist Church, athletes and officials will get a chance to experience Samoan culture and our world famous hospitality."

The report, titled Church Responses To Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Samoa, examines how Samoa's social, cultural and religious systems act to sustain the nation's high rates of violence against women.

The leader of the project, Mercy Ah-Siu Maliko, said in order for churches to achieve this, they must first include women in their ministry work.

Dr Maliko, who has Samoan heritage, said the church needs to revise its interpretation that legitimises the submission of women, that legitimises the customs and rules that oppress women.

They are scheduled to appear in court today.

This brings to 40 the number of ministers from the same church who have been charged under a new law which requires church ministers to pay taxes on donations from church members.

One of the new group confirmed to the Samoa Observer that he was served with a summons a week after the church's general assembly at Malua.

He said 12 of the ministers, who have just been charged, look after congregations in rural villages while the rest serve urban congregations.

Samoa's National Council of Churches is asking for the Ministry of Revenue to allow more time for individual churches to discuss changes to tax laws that would affect pastor earnings.

The government's plan is to start taxing church offerings received by members of the clergy.

Spokesperson the Reverend Ma'auga Motu said the main denominations, Congregational, Methodist, Mormon and Catholic, were tasked with discussing with their own parishioners and church members as to their response.

The Ministry for Revenue is consulting with churches and communities about the move that aims to tax direct personal donations from church members to the clergy.

The government believes everyone should pay taxes.

But our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said the view on the street was mixed.

"There is a division of opinion on social media and the local media here as well. Some people are saying it is not for the government to tax the church ministers as they are the servants of God."

The Chairman of the Samoa National Council of Churches, Deacon Kasiano Le'aupepe, told the Samoa Observer each church has its own systems and some churches are larger than others.

Leaupepe said as he understands it, the government planned to target the money given to ministers or faifeau by individual members of their congregations on Sunday.

He said if this was the case then church ministers from the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and Methodists would pay more tax than Catholic priests who he said did not receive as much of these kinds of donations.