"Angry villagers have demolished a new Seventh-day Adventist church building in the Solomon
Islands and ordered the small congregation to leave their island by the end of the month.
Irving Vagha, an Adventist leader in the Solomon Islands, an Oceanic country comprised of scores of islands east of Papua New Guinea, asked church members to pray.
The new church building was constructed on Anglican Church-dominated Anuta Island with the agreement of the Adventist landowner but not with the permission of local authorities, the Solomon Star newspaper reported.
Putanakipenu Arikifaka, the son of the island’s first chief, told the newspaper that people enjoyed freedom of worship on Anuta but “what the Adventists are doing is not acceptable to our chiefly system.” He said the island’s system of governance was higher than the government of the Solomon Island.
“We told them that they can go ahead with their worship in their own homes but not to build a church on the island,” Arikifaka said.
“We are asking all Adventist members living on the Island to … leave on any available transport that reaches the island this month,” he said.
The church was demolished by the island’s Anglican priest together with a large group of supporters, Vagha said.
A local Adventist member, Selwyn Faramarama, started working on the island as a Bible worker funded by Volunteers in Action and supported by the Adventist Church in the Solomon Islands last year. Three people have been baptized, and Faramarama has been studying the Bible with five more people in preparation for baptism.
Faramarama is now in the country’s capital, Honiara, where he is seeking advice and support from Adventist church leaders" AR
An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.
Ezekiel 7:5
Irving Vagha, an Adventist leader in the Solomon Islands, an Oceanic country comprised of scores of islands east of Papua New Guinea, asked church members to pray.
The new church building was constructed on Anglican Church-dominated Anuta Island with the agreement of the Adventist landowner but not with the permission of local authorities, the Solomon Star newspaper reported.
Putanakipenu Arikifaka, the son of the island’s first chief, told the newspaper that people enjoyed freedom of worship on Anuta but “what the Adventists are doing is not acceptable to our chiefly system.” He said the island’s system of governance was higher than the government of the Solomon Island.
“We told them that they can go ahead with their worship in their own homes but not to build a church on the island,” Arikifaka said.
“We are asking all Adventist members living on the Island to … leave on any available transport that reaches the island this month,” he said.
The church was demolished by the island’s Anglican priest together with a large group of supporters, Vagha said.
A local Adventist member, Selwyn Faramarama, started working on the island as a Bible worker funded by Volunteers in Action and supported by the Adventist Church in the Solomon Islands last year. Three people have been baptized, and Faramarama has been studying the Bible with five more people in preparation for baptism.
Faramarama is now in the country’s capital, Honiara, where he is seeking advice and support from Adventist church leaders" AR
An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.
Ezekiel 7:5
