Latter-day Saints Create New Stake in Samoa

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the creation of the Upolu Samoa Nuumau Stake at a special conference held in Pesega Samoa last week. This brings the total number of stakes in the Samoan Islands to 24.

Upolu Samoa Nuumau Stake

Talalelei Pauga was called to serve as president of the new stake, with Laumaava Leafa as first counselor and Sio Alaiva’a as second counselor.

President Talalelei Pauga is an accountant. He and his wife, Cessna, have four children and live in Laulii.

Laumaava Leafa works as a farmer on his own plantation. He and his wife, Etevise, have two children and live in Solosolo.

Sio Alaiva’a works as a chef. He and his wife, Taulagia, have four children and live in Letogo.

Elder O. Vincent Haleck of the Church’s Pacific Area Presidency presided over the conference which was attended by church members from four stakes. He told the conference, “This is a big day. The Church has grown because our parents and their children obeyed and sacrificed so much.”

A stake is a group of five to twelve congregations in a defined geographical area, similar to a diocese in other churches, and is presided over by a stake president and two counselors. The stake was created to accommodate the growth of the church in and around the capital city of Apia and in northwestern Upolu.

A stake president and his counselors are not paid for their service, but donate their time to serve the congregations they preside over.

New Presidency for the Pesega Samoa Stake

A new presidency for the Pesega Samoa Stake was also announced at the conference. Lake Ah Chong was called to serve as the president, with Salevana Paramore as first counselor and Duke Iaulualo as second counselor.

President Lake Ah Chong is Dean of the Faculty of Education at the National University of Samoa. He and his wife, Isabella, have seven children and live in Lotopa.

Salevana Paramore works as a facilities manager. He and his wife, Rachel, have four children and live in Pesega.

Duke Iaulualo works as a seminary and institute coordinator. He and his wife, Lolofi, have four children and live in Pesega.

The previous president, Sapele Faalogo, and his two counselors, Molisa Tavete and Fagasa Fepuleai, were honourably released after serving faithfully for ten years.

The Church has a long and deep history in Samoa, starting in 1863 with the arrival of two missionaries from Hawaii.  The mission was officially organized in 1888 and in 1974 Samoa became the first country in the world to be entirely covered by stakes.