A senior pastor of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S), Reverend Kerita Reupena, who has taken the Elders Committee to Court, was told to leave the General Assembly at the church’s Annual Conference yesterday.
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This was confirmed by the Church’s General Secretary, Reverend Dr. Iutisone Salevao, who told the Samoa Observer the decision was made to keep the peace among church members.
The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling last week over an injunction sought by Rev. Reupena against two decisions by the Elders Committee.
The Minister of C.C.C.S Ipswich Australia is taking on the Komiti Fa’atonu over their decision to remove him from the position of Reverend Elder as well as removing him from the said Committee.
Through his lawyers, Leuluaiali’i Olinda Woodroffe and Colin Pidgeon QC, Rev. Reupena sought an interim injunction to stop the Church from enforcing the decisions.
The application for interim injunction to restrain the Church from implementing or enforcing in any way whatsoever a decision was denied. Part of the decision means that Rev. Reupena cannot have the Elder title back.
The Court, however, ruled that the church couldn’t replace Rev. Reupena.
Yesterday, Dr. Salevao defended the decision to ask Rev. Reupena to leave.
“The Court’s decision is still pending and he (Rev. Reupena) should respect it and also respect the church,” said Dr. Salevao.
“(He was asked to leave) and that was done to keep the peace because some people are not happy with the Court case. “So in our opinion, it is best (for him) to leave the church alone until the Court procedures are done".
It was not possible to get a comment from Rev. Reupena yesterday.
Last week, Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiava’asue Falefatu Sapolu ordered that “an interim injunction is issued to restrain the second respondents/ defendants from seeking and/or accepting the appointment of a new reverend elder for the Queensland District to replace the first applicant/ plaintiff as a member of the ministerial subcommittee or any other committee of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa.
“In all other respects, the motion by the applicants/plaintiffs for an interim injunction is denied".
About the decision from the Chief Justice, Dr. Salevao said: “The church will not touch on his (Rev. Reupena’s) position, it’s been left alone".
“That has been left alone until the ruling from the Court".
But on the annual conference agenda yesterday was also the division of the Queensland District. “The district has been divided into two and so that will be made official when it’s passed before the Assembly,” said Rev. Salevao. The General Secretary explained that the main Queensland district is led by Rev. Reupena but some differences led the other half to break away.
He did not say what those differences were.
“So the new district is called Queensland South led by Rev. Tauaaga Mata’afa and the other is still called Queensland,” said Rev. Salevao.
The new district consists of 14 churches. The Queensland’s district initially had 20 churches before the others broke away.
The Malua conference continues.
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