Religion in Tonga
Encyclopedia
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, 14% to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), 12% to the Free Church of Tonga
Free Church of Tonga
The Free Church of Tonga is a church in Tonga.The church was established in 1885 by King George Tupou I and Rev. Shirley W. Baker. Originally with the name The Wesleyan Free Church of Tonga , it became the official state church...
, 17% to other groups. However, both Roman Catholics and Mormons state that the number of their adherents is higher than reported, and a 2006 survey conducted by the Free Wesleyan Church revealed its membership comprised only 35 percent of the population. The Tokaikolo Church (a local offshoot of the Methodist Church), Seventh-day Adventists, Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, Anglicans
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is a church of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands...
are also present. Other than Christian denominations the next largest religion is of the Baha'i Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
have small numbers of adherents.
The Bahá'í Faith in Tonga
Bahá'í Faith in Tonga
The Bahá'í Faith in Tonga started after being set as a goal to introduce the religion in 1953, and Bahá'ís arrived in 1954. With conversions and pioneers the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1958. From 1959 the Bahá'ís of Tonga and their local institutions were members of a...
started after being set as a goal to introduce the religion in 1953, and Bahá'ís arrived in 1954. With conversions and pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1958. Less than forty years later, in 1996, the Bahá'ís of Tonga established their paramount Bahá'í school
Bahá'í school
A Bahá'í school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Bahá'í institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Bahá'í teachings, Bahá'í central figures, or Bahá'í administration...
in the form of the Ocean of Light International School
Ocean of Light International School
The Ocean of Light International School, located in Tonga, is a private internationalist Bahá'í school dedicated to the development of the spiritual, intellectual, and physical potential of the students and to the fostering of a new world society identifying itself with the principles of a world...
. Around 2004 there were 29 local spiritual assemblies and about 5% of the national population were members of the Bahá'í Faith though the Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission is the first and largest broadcasting station in Tonga, solely owned by the government of Tonga. It operates two free-to-air TV channels , one AM commercial radio channel , one FM commercial radio channel , and a 24-hour Radio Australia relay channel...
maintained a policy that does not allow discussions by members of the Bahá'í Faith of its founder, Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
on its radio broadcasts. Foreign missionaries are active in the country and operate freely. The Constitution of Tonga provides for freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
, and the government generally respected this right in practice. The US government found that there were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007.
| Religion (2006 Census) | Persons | % of Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| Free Wesleyan Church Free Wesleyan Church The Free Wesleyan Church is the largest Methodist denomination in Tonga. The royal family of the country are prominent members, and the late king was a lay preacher.... |
38,052 | 37.3 |
| Roman Catholic | 15,922 | 15.6 |
| Latter Day Saint The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Tonga in 1891... |
17,109 | 16.8 |
| Free church of Tonga | 11,599 | 11.4 |
| Church of Tonga Church of Tonga The Church of Tonga is one of the churches in Tonga. It is located in the capital Nukualofa.It was established in 1928 by those members who did not agree to the unification in 1924 of the Wesleyan mission and the Free church into the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, and they also did not agree with... |
7,295 | 7.1 |
| Tokaikolo | 2,597 | 2.5 |
| Anglican Church | 765 | 0.8 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 2,282 | 2.2 |
| Assembly of God | 2,350 | 2.3 |
| Constitutional Church of Tonga | 941 | 0.9 |
| Gospel Gospel A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... |
243 | 0.2 |
| Bahai Faith | 686 | 0.7 |
| Hindus | 104 | 0.1 |
| Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... |
47 | 0.0 |
| Buddhist | 71 | 0.1 |
| Other | 202 | 0.2 |
| No Religious affiliation | 28 | 0.0 |
| Refuse to answer | 1,509 | 1.5 |
| Not stated | 189 | 0.2 |