About 400 Tongans from around the United States gathered at the All Nations church of Elk Grove on Sabbath afternoon, Sept. 15, to support the organization of the Sacramento Tongan Seventh-day Adventist Company. The new company is the only Tongan congregation in the Northern California Conference. “It was a joy to see that God’s work is moving forward and that God answers prayer!” said Sione Vea Latuhoi, the congregation’s leader. The afternoon’s theme was “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.”
NCC President Jim Pedersen presented the main message. VicLouis Arreola, III, Asian/Pacific ministries director for the Pacific Union and the North American Division, offered words of encouragement. Other participants included NCC Executive Secretary Marc Woodson and NCC Asian/Pacific Ministries Coordinator William Gemora. Leaders of Tongan congregations in Burlingame, Los Angeles and Reno contributed to the program, as did the Chorale Hallelujah from the Los Angeles Tongan church and the chorale from the Sacramento Samoan church.
The Sacramento area is home to about 3,000 Tongans, and the Adventist congregation feels a great responsibility to reach out to them. “We need a church to preach the three angels’ messages — to be a lighthouse for the Tongan people here so they’ll hear the message of Jesus Christ,” said Latuhoi. The Tongan group began in 2006 with a few families worshiping together in their homes. Latuhoi, his wife Lineni Atiloa, their five sons and one daughter had moved to the area from Los Angeles so that Latuhoi could attend the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism. After he graduated, Latuhoi began leading the Tongan group.
In 2007, they began meeting at the Sacramento Southgate church, and held their first evangelistic meeting in a community hall. Sonatane Vunileva, from Los Angeles, presented the two-week series of meetings in the Tongan language, and 12 people were baptized afterward, with three more later that same year. In 2008, Peni Moto, a retired pastor from New Zealand, spoke to 400 people at another evangelistic series in Sacramento, and 15 more were baptized. The next year, the group held two more series of meetings, and they have held one each year since then — including one that began on Oct. 28, 2012, with 'Etuini Mounga from Seattle, Wash.
Although the meetings take a lot of work and energy on the part of the leader and members, they can see “so many ways that God’s hand is leading this church,” said Latuhoi. “The people know their message and their commitment to the Word of God.” Charter member Kalolaine Poulivaati travels an hour to get to church, but she believes it is worth the drive to be part of a congregation reaching out to the Tongan people. “I love to share with other people in the Sacramento area who know nothing about the love of God,” she said. “I tell you, God is good! Wonderful!” Since 2011, the congregation has been meeting at the All Nations church, but they are raising funds to purchase a church building of their own.
They are also eager to be organized as a full-fledged church. “I congratulate the congregation for their determination to become a company,” said Gemora. “And I encourage them to continue their efforts in order to become the first Tongan church in the Northern California Conference.” -Pacific Union Recorder
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