| Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga | |
|---|---|
| Siasi Uēsiliana Tau'atāina 'o Tonga | |
 FWCT logo Motto: "Ko e me'a tēpū ko e 'iate kitautolu 'a e 'Otua" (The best of all is that God is with us). | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Methodist |
| Theology | Wesleyan, Evangelical |
| Polity | Connexionalism |
| President | Dr. Tevita Koloa'ia Havea |
| Secretary-General | Rev. Mr. Alifeleti Atiola |
| Headquarters | Nuku'alofa, Tonga |
| Territory | Tonga, Fiji, American Samoa, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Japan, United States of America. |
| Origin | 30 May 1924. |
| Merger of | Free Church of Tonga and Methodist Church of Australasia |
| Other name(s) | Methodist Church of Tonga |
| Official website | www |
The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWCT; Tongan: Siasi Uēsiliana Tau‘atāina ‘o Tonga[1]) is a Methodist denomination in Tonga. It is the largest Christian denomination in the nation and is often mistaken to be its state church.[2] It has its roots in the arrival of the first missionaries from the London Missionary Society and the ministry of the Wesleyan Methodist Mission Society, the latter of which cemented its Methodist identity.
The Tongan Royal Family has had a close relationship with the Church ever since the advent of the Gospel in the island kingdom, with many of them as prominent members;[2] thus, with these factors, the FWCT can be considered a de facto state church.[3]
- ^ Tonga on the 'NET - Christianity and The Kingdom of Tonga: Free Wesleyan Church Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (Methodist Church in Tonga)". World Council of Churches. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Ernst, Manfred (2012-04-01). "Changing Christianity in Oceania: a Regional Overview". Archives de sciences sociales des religions (157): 29–45. doi:10.4000/assr.23613. ISSN 0335-5985.