Samani Pulepule
Encyclopedia
Dr Samani Pulepule was a Samoan minister since the early 1960's in the Assemblies of God movement. Dr Pulepule was also the General Superintendent of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand
for over 40 years. Recently during a World Conference in Samoa in 2006, Dr Pulepule was elected as the World Chairman of the Samoan Assemblies of God Worldwide
. He was also known to be the eldest serving active Pastor in the Southern Hemisphere.
Dr Pulepule was the senior pastor for the Samoan A/G in Auckland. It is one of the largest Samoan congregations in the world, and through His ministry, Dr Pulepule has planted over 100 churches throughout New Zealand. Recently in 2005 the church group He led went through a phase of division where 40 or so churches stayed under the Assemblies of God in New Zealand umbrella, and 45 churches left and became an autonomous fellowship under his direction.
Since 2005 the church under his direction has grown from 45 to over 90 at this present time, and the church continues to grow and is still known to be the fastest growing Pentecostal movement in New Zealand.
On Sunday 25 September 2011, Dr Pulepule officially resigned from all his posts of Senior Pastor, General Superintendent and World Chairman in the Samoan Assemblies of God movement. In attendance were the former General Superintendents of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand, Assemblies of God leaders around the world, the Mayor of Auckland, the Auckland City Council and Members of Parliament as well as leaders of all the other pentecostal denominations who all paid tribute to Dr Pulepule and the First Lady.
Since the beginning of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand, the church group have rejected many traditional Samoan cultural practices.
Dr Pulepule was known as one of the eldest serving Pastors in the Southern Hemisphere.
, Samoa
(formerly Western Samoa
) to Tupolesava Pulepule Matu'u II and Aimama Tuala of Saluafata who were members of the L.M.S
in Solosolo. He has 9 siblings and is the second eldest child.
He became a teacher at Avele College, and later met his wife Sapapali'i, both were members of the CCCS (Congregational Christian Church of Samoa or L.M.S). By then the Assemblies of God from American Samoa
had already began missions in the Samoan islands.
During the years 1958 to 1962 Pastor Ieti Mageo from American Samoa was overseeing the Assemblies of God movement in Samoa, and had translated a tract entitled The Way of Salvation and how to know you are Saved into the Samoan language. After it was printed, Sapapali'i found a copy which had been thrown in the street of Apia the capital of Samoa
, and being spiritually alert for more knowledge she followed the instructions on the tract that led her to the home of Pastor Ieti Mageo.
Sapapali'i then accepted the Lord and was also baptized in the Holy Spirit. She ran home and told her husband Samani all about her experience, believing His wife and wanting to experience this himself, he too was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In 1963 they were both called to lead Faleasi'u Assembly of God (the first A/G church in Samoa), and within a few weeks moved to New Zealand and began to witness the power of God that transformed their lives. In New Zealand, there were already a few Samoan Pentecostal churches at the time, the first one starting in Wellington by the late Pastor Fred Ama.
Dr Pulepule and his wife planted a church in the Grey Lynn area in Auckland, and the church grew rapidly, having to extend their church more than 5 times just to cater to the 500 plus strong congregation. In 1967, Grey Lynn Samoan A/G was the first ethnic church to align with the Assemblies of God in New Zealand
. The 20 or so Samoan Pentecostal churches thought their church would become more effective if they all came together, and at that time these Pentecostal churches had united and officially became the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand
under the leadership of Dr Samani Pulepule, there he was elected as the Superintendent of the Samoan movement in New Zealand, and it soon became the fastest growing church in New Zealand.
In 1990 Pastor Samani Pulepule received a vision from God and it was in 1992 where this vision had come to pass, the official opening of the Samoan Assemblies of God Convention Center. The center was named the Samani Pulepule Convention/Community Centre and it seats up to 4,000 people.
In 1999 the Grey Lynn church relocated to Mt Roskill where they purchased an old factory building which cost them $1.6 Million, and renamed their church from Grey Lynn to Auckland Samoan Assembly of God, which has been the church of the General Superintendent for over 40 years.
In September 2011, Dr Pulepule resigned as the Superintendent for the Samoan Assemblies of God fellowship around the World.
Since 1967 he was elected as the General Superintendent at one of the Camp Meetings in Wellington, and recently resigned from this post in September 2011.
He was also elected as Chairman of the Worldwide Fellowship following the death of Pastor Max Haleck Jnr in 2006. From 2006 and 2011 Dr Pulepule held the post of World Chairman, until he resigned in September of 2011. Succeeding him on this role is his son, Onesemo Pulepule who was called into office at the resignation of his father.
Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand Incorporated
The Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand Incorporated are a group of Pentecostal churches predominately made up of Samoan people. Established in New Zealand in the early 1960s by a group of Pentecostals from Samoa bringing the message of Pentecostalism to their Samoan people living in New Zealand...
for over 40 years. Recently during a World Conference in Samoa in 2006, Dr Pulepule was elected as the World Chairman of the Samoan Assemblies of God Worldwide
Samoan Assemblies of God
The Sāmoan Assemblies of God Fellowship or SAOG is a Pentecostal fellowship of churches. Established in 1928 on the Islands of American Sāmoa, it reached the Western Islands and outer countries with large Sāmoan communities, such as New Zealand, America and Australia...
. He was also known to be the eldest serving active Pastor in the Southern Hemisphere.
Dr Pulepule was the senior pastor for the Samoan A/G in Auckland. It is one of the largest Samoan congregations in the world, and through His ministry, Dr Pulepule has planted over 100 churches throughout New Zealand. Recently in 2005 the church group He led went through a phase of division where 40 or so churches stayed under the Assemblies of God in New Zealand umbrella, and 45 churches left and became an autonomous fellowship under his direction.
Since 2005 the church under his direction has grown from 45 to over 90 at this present time, and the church continues to grow and is still known to be the fastest growing Pentecostal movement in New Zealand.
On Sunday 25 September 2011, Dr Pulepule officially resigned from all his posts of Senior Pastor, General Superintendent and World Chairman in the Samoan Assemblies of God movement. In attendance were the former General Superintendents of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand, Assemblies of God leaders around the world, the Mayor of Auckland, the Auckland City Council and Members of Parliament as well as leaders of all the other pentecostal denominations who all paid tribute to Dr Pulepule and the First Lady.
Since the beginning of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand, the church group have rejected many traditional Samoan cultural practices.
Dr Pulepule was known as one of the eldest serving Pastors in the Southern Hemisphere.
Early life and History
On October 13, 1923, Samani Pulepule was born in the village of SolosoloSolosolo
Solosolo is a village on the northeast coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The village is in the political district of Atua and is one of the prominent settlements in the area with the largest population in its electoral constituency of Anoama'a West.-Geography:...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
(formerly Western Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
) to Tupolesava Pulepule Matu'u II and Aimama Tuala of Saluafata who were members of the L.M.S
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
in Solosolo. He has 9 siblings and is the second eldest child.
He became a teacher at Avele College, and later met his wife Sapapali'i, both were members of the CCCS (Congregational Christian Church of Samoa or L.M.S). By then the Assemblies of God from American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
had already began missions in the Samoan islands.
During the years 1958 to 1962 Pastor Ieti Mageo from American Samoa was overseeing the Assemblies of God movement in Samoa, and had translated a tract entitled The Way of Salvation and how to know you are Saved into the Samoan language. After it was printed, Sapapali'i found a copy which had been thrown in the street of Apia the capital of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, and being spiritually alert for more knowledge she followed the instructions on the tract that led her to the home of Pastor Ieti Mageo.
Sapapali'i then accepted the Lord and was also baptized in the Holy Spirit. She ran home and told her husband Samani all about her experience, believing His wife and wanting to experience this himself, he too was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In 1963 they were both called to lead Faleasi'u Assembly of God (the first A/G church in Samoa), and within a few weeks moved to New Zealand and began to witness the power of God that transformed their lives. In New Zealand, there were already a few Samoan Pentecostal churches at the time, the first one starting in Wellington by the late Pastor Fred Ama.
Dr Pulepule and his wife planted a church in the Grey Lynn area in Auckland, and the church grew rapidly, having to extend their church more than 5 times just to cater to the 500 plus strong congregation. In 1967, Grey Lynn Samoan A/G was the first ethnic church to align with the Assemblies of God in New Zealand
Assemblies of God in New Zealand
The Assemblies of God in New Zealand is a Pentecostal denomination in New Zealand and a member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. In 2007, the denomination had nearly 200 congregations and preaching points and 30,000 members and adherents,...
. The 20 or so Samoan Pentecostal churches thought their church would become more effective if they all came together, and at that time these Pentecostal churches had united and officially became the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand
Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand Incorporated
The Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand Incorporated are a group of Pentecostal churches predominately made up of Samoan people. Established in New Zealand in the early 1960s by a group of Pentecostals from Samoa bringing the message of Pentecostalism to their Samoan people living in New Zealand...
under the leadership of Dr Samani Pulepule, there he was elected as the Superintendent of the Samoan movement in New Zealand, and it soon became the fastest growing church in New Zealand.
In 1990 Pastor Samani Pulepule received a vision from God and it was in 1992 where this vision had come to pass, the official opening of the Samoan Assemblies of God Convention Center. The center was named the Samani Pulepule Convention/Community Centre and it seats up to 4,000 people.
In 1999 the Grey Lynn church relocated to Mt Roskill where they purchased an old factory building which cost them $1.6 Million, and renamed their church from Grey Lynn to Auckland Samoan Assembly of God, which has been the church of the General Superintendent for over 40 years.
In September 2011, Dr Pulepule resigned as the Superintendent for the Samoan Assemblies of God fellowship around the World.
Family and Heritage
During their time in Ministry, Dr Samani Pulepule and the First Lady have been blessed with 3 children, Onesemo, Sera and Talalelei. Onesemo moved to Australia and founded the Melbourne Samoan Assembly of God church, and in 2001 was elected as the General Superintendent of the Samoan Assemblies of God in Australia. All are Samoan-born. His brother Taulapapa Mama Pulepule is also currently Pastor for the Falefa Assembly of God in Samoa and has been for several years, His younger brother Ieti is also a Pastor for the Paraparaumu church. He also has other brothers Magele, Lemusu, Tautiaga and sisters Masina, Tivalo, Lanuola & Niusolifono.Leadership
From between 1962 and 1963 Dr Pulepule became the 3rd Pastor of Faleasi'u Assembly of God, he then moved to New Zealand in 1963 and founded the Grey Lynn Samoan A/G and in 1999 Dr Pulepule founded the Auckland Samoan Assembly of God, a church that grew from 4 families to over 500 adherents in 10 years.Since 1967 he was elected as the General Superintendent at one of the Camp Meetings in Wellington, and recently resigned from this post in September 2011.
He was also elected as Chairman of the Worldwide Fellowship following the death of Pastor Max Haleck Jnr in 2006. From 2006 and 2011 Dr Pulepule held the post of World Chairman, until he resigned in September of 2011. Succeeding him on this role is his son, Onesemo Pulepule who was called into office at the resignation of his father.