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Samani Pulepule (13 October 1923 – 4 June 2013), formally His Eminence and Most Reverend, Chief Apostle Dr. Samani Pulepule was a Samoan minister since the early 1950s in the Assemblies of God movement. Dr Pulepule was also the Chief Apostle of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand for over 40 years and was elected as the World Chairman of the Samoan Assemblies of God International. Also the Tokelauan Assemblies of God and Tuvaluan Assemblies of God came under his leadership. The Right Reverend was the senior pastor for the Grey Lynn Samoan A/G congregation in Auckland. It was once one of the fastest growing and largest Samoan congregation in the world. Dr Pulepule also planted over 100 churches throughout New Zealand, and was a leading key factor in the establishment of the Samoan Assemblies of God around the world where Samoan communities were present. In Australia he planted over 60 Samoan A/G Congregations. He was heavily involved in mission work, especially in Samoa and American Samoa where almost 200 congregations make up the District Council of the Assemblies of God in Samoa. His leadership reached mainland USA who currently has over 90 congregations mainly along the west coast states. Dr. Pulepule also administered the establishment of the Samoan Assemblies of God in Hawaii and Alaska where together over 50 congregations thrive. In the 1990s Pulepule assisted in the establishing of the Samoan Assemblies of God in England and Germany. The World Tongan Assemblies of God fellowship began when the Tongan leaders sought assistance from Dr. Pulepule who helped establish a worldwide movement. In 2005 the New Zealand Samoan movement he led went through a phase of division where 40 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 80 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 25 September 2011, Pulepule officially resigned from all his posts of Chief Apostle, 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. Pulepule was known as one of the eldest serving Pastors in the Southern Hemisphere. His wife, First Lady Sapapali'i Pulepule died on 21 May 2013. Pulepule died two weeks later on 4 June 2013. Thousands attended both memorial services for two great pioneers in the Assemblies of God movement. The New Zealand Government also presented gifts and the national flag of New Zealand was draped over their coffins. == Early life and History == Pulepule was born on October 13, 1923, in the village of Solosolo, Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) to Tupolesava Pulepule Matu'u II and Aimama Tuala Tagaloa 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 begun missions in the Samoan islands. In 1963, Pastors Makisua & Mauosamoa Fatialofa were holding Revival meetings in Lotopa. It was at these meetings that Samani and Sapapalii were saved. The Late Pastor and Evangelist Barry Smith, a school teacher at that time who worked with Samani at Samoa College, had brought them to the meetings, and it was from that day on, Pulepule and the First Lady devoted the rest of their life to the church and its purposes. (Pentecost to the uttermost: History of the Assemblies of God: Dr. Tavita Pagaialii,Pg.53) In 1965 they were both appointed to lead Faleasi'u Assembly of God (the first A/G church in Samoa), and within 1 year 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. 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 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 1992 the Samoan Assemblies of God Convention Centre officially opened. 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 it purchased an old factory building for NZ$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, Pulepule resigned as the Superintendent for the Samoan Assemblies of God fellowship around the World. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Samani Pulepule」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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