Cook Islands

Captain James Cook discovered several little islands in 1773. These were named the Hervey Islands. It was the London Missionary Society that introduced Christianity to the group of islands and translated the Bible into the Rarotongan language. The islands were later named the Cook Islands. The people who populated this region were attractive and intelligent - Polynesians with links between the Samoans, Tahitians and Maoris.

John Tay, an American, was the first Seventh-day Adventist to visit the Cook Islands. During his visit in 1886 Tay sold Adventist literature to the people there.

Another missionary voyage to the Pitcairn Island provided a second opportunity to sell literature and offer medical services to the Cook Islanders. Dr Joseph Caldwell and his wife Julia accepted a request to stay on the island as permanent doctor. Julia, a school teacher, opened an English-language school. Along with them remained Dudley and Sarah Owen and Maud Young, a Pitcairner who came as a student nurse.

A stamp commemorating Dr Joseph Caldwell's contribution to Christianity in the Cook Islands.

The five Adventists worshipped regularly with the London Missionary Society believers in their church in Avarua. The services were conducted in English, but many islanders attended as well.

The Adventists worshipped on Saturdays calculated according to the time east of the International Date Line - a practice technically correct, but one that found them worshipping with the other locals on Sunday. The locals had not made allowances for the crossing dateline. Initially, there appeared to be little difference between the Adventist missionaries and the other worshippers.

After nine months on the island, in July 9, 1895, 50 year-old Sarah Owen passed away. Dudley Owen and the two children transferred to Samoa on the "Pitcairn" boat. Before the boat left the island, the chiefs requested that school teachers be sent to the islands. Five American teachers arrived soon after. Gradually, the Adventist presence became more obvious through teaching and medical care services.

Rata, who had received treatment from Dr Caldwell, and his family became the first full-blooded Cook Islanders to be baptised as Seventh-day Adventists.

Defections from the established churches no doubt caused some apprehension and a widening gap developed between the Adventists and others. One of the greatest hindrances for a Cook Islander to become an Adventist was the power of the island chiefs. They owned the land and operated the feudal system. Opposition from chiefs made conversion very difficult.

Missionaries observed the enthusiasm of students in the classroom but were discouraged to see them revert back to customs in the homes. Some of the missionaries adopted the children into their own homes with the hope of converting and training them as future missionaries. This practice was initially accepted until the Rice family attempted in 1899 to take some of the children to Avondale school in Australia for further training. This prompted the government to forbid their departure from the island. Two of the children cared for by the Caldwells were forcibly taken away from them.

In December 1899, the chiefs voted to bring their calendar into line with everyone else. The difficulty was that they declared that Sunday would be the island's day of worship, or Sabbath. Any island found working, not attending church on Sunday, or found voicing the non-sacredness of Sunday was liable to a fine or hard labour on the roads.

Adventism would be faced with difficulties for many years to come. Pressure mostly came from non-Adventist clergy. Those who wouldn't conform faced fines and risked having their houses burned down. Those who couldn't pay had to work to remove their debt.

But despite opposition Caldwell baptised eighteen islanders - some who were willing to be stripped off their village titles. They became the church at Titikaveka.

Bible studies were given to others who were interested, and the high chief eventually realised it was futile to continue the battle.

Caldwell left for New Zealand in 1901 as the medical work had petered out. Albert Piper and his wife sailed from Australia on October 31, 1900 to replace the Rice family.

Evelyn Gooding arrived at Titikaveka in February 1902 to teach. Dormitories were erected out of native materials to accommodate the students and make possible the combining of the schools at Rarotonga and Titikaveka.

The intermittent operation of the schools and the changing staff and circumstances weakened their influence. The church at Titikaveka continued to be the strongest group, but experienced no significant increase in numbers above the original total. Sabbath school membership in 1903 was reported to be thirty.

Land for the church at Titikaveka was granted in 1902 and Caldwell sent his own money to pay for it. Throughout 1903 the members built a coral-rock structure. Its total cost was $190. The chapel was dedicated on May 23, 1904.

During the Piper era (1900-1906) a few other initiatives were taken. A bakery was established to support the mission work. It was a short-lived attempt. Literature in the Rarotongan language was able produced. Three hundred hymnbooks were printed in 1904 and the following year an abridged translation of "Thoughts on Daniel" and the book "Christ our Saviour" were also available.

William and Olive Pascoe were appointed to replace the Pipers. Pascoe cared for the Titikaveka church and on one occasion distributed literature on the islands of Aitutaki and Mangaia. Unfortunately their health deteriorated and by mid-1908 they returned to New Zealand.

The greatest advance made during the Pascoe era was the introduction of a monthly magazine in the Rarotongan language. It was called "Tuatua Mou" ("Truth") and proved to be a means of reaching many in far-away islands.

In mid-1908 Frank and Almeda Lyndon replaced the Pascoes. The Lyndon family stayed in the island for a brief period of time. The Sterlings replaced them.

The coming of the Sterlings occurred when a new phenomenon was shaping the mission. The distribution of the new magazine resulted in many requests for missionaries in outlying islands. Due to personality clashes, only twenty people were attending the church at Titikaveka. The total baptised membership for the whole island stood at fourteen after sixteen years of mission effort.

Two New Zealanders, Reg and Emily Piper came to assist in 1912. In addition Ephrahim and Agnes Giblett also arrived in October. All their efforts to revive the Titikaveka church were unsuccessful. Only three of the church members were deemed faithful, and the church was officially disbanded.

In the meantime the Sterlings responded to requests to go to Aitutaki. Over the years Adventist literature had been distributed on this island by passing missionaries. Books had been canvassed as well. Sterling built a mission home and began preaching in the villages, using stereopticon pictures to explain the prophecies. A group of twelve islanders met regularly in Sterlings' home for worship. Sterling was not an ordained minister, but he received special permission to baptise several people. He organised them into a church on October 25, 1913. The three faithful members at Titikaveka were included on the Aitutaki membership roll. A second baptism was held in 1914.

The Gibletts transferred to Aitutaki to assist the Sterlings for a while. A European-style chapel with corrugated iron roof and glass panels in the windows and doors was dedicated on June 6, 1914. The new church included a baptistry under the rostrum, and down pipes from the roof channelled the rainwater into the font.

Sickness took its toll among the missionaries. The Pipers left in 1913 due to Reg suffering from chronic dysentery. The Gibletts returned to Australia because their child was ill. Henry and Mary Hill and Henry and Olive Streeter replaced them.

The Streeters settled in the village of Oneroa, shared a home with some islanders, distributed literature, and began an English language school for fifteen pupils. Streeter baptised one man. After eighteen months on the island, they had to return home because Olive became sick with malaria.

Nurses Harold and Madeleine Wicks sailed for the Cook Islands in February 1915. They replaced the Sterlings. In January 1916 Wicks baptised three lepers forced to live in isolation. The arrival of the Wick family allowed Sterling to answer a request from another unentered island. He went to Mauke. A handful of believers responded to his message. A church was built there.

In October 1917 Iti Strickland went to Pukapuka Island in response to an urgent call from a resident there. When the calendar reform was introduced to Pukapuka, twenty-five people refused to change and called for help. Iti worked with the group for over a year. Then in May 1919 Wicks arrived with a generous supply of medicines. He stayed with Iti from eight months. Wicks preached from a friend's verandah every evening to whoever would listen. Threats were made that the preacher would be trampled to death. Nevertheless, Wicks baptised twenty-two, including their king and his wife. He also built a church, which was dedicated on July 18, 1919. In Pakapuka a minister from the London Missionary Society was also baptised.

Sterling's initiative in 1912 to enter the outlying islands proved to be a wise move. During the Sterling and Wicks era, extending to 1919/1920, five new areas were entered in the space of one decade. More importantly, national missionaries began to play an indispensable role. Frances (Nicholas) Waugh translated for several years. Tonga, the Titikavekan deacon, canvassed literature until 1924 when he fell sick and passed away. A long list of national workers, including Joseph Vati, Viriaere Ti, and Tauraki, played a very important role in furthering the work.

Fluctuating membership statistics have been a characteristic of the Seventh-day Adventist mission in the Cook Islands. However, generally speaking they show an upward trend. The mission's early history includes distressing instances of Sunday laws and persecution but these provided the catalyst for small groups to join the church.

Source: Hook, M., "Tuatua Mou: Early Adventism in the Cook Islands", Seventh-day Adventist Heritage Series 20.