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PORTRAITS OF POLY PASTOR'S KIDS: AMOSA BROTHERS
Dan (37), Ron (36), Fasitua (35), Chris (Toma) 32 & Marcus (31)
The Amosa's parents served in the Presbyterian ministry for 25 years. The boys spent their early years growing up in a palagi church in South Canterbury before moving to Auckland in their early teens where their father ministered at a Samoan congregation.
The boys speak of the culture shock they experienced with this transition. Fasitua describes his South Island upbringing as ‘dualistic’ with stark difference between life inside the home and life outside the home. Despite being the only ‘brown’ family in their small town and completely isolated from other Pacific Islanders, he and his siblings were raised with an acute sense of cultural awareness and identity. Outside of the home they were very ‘palagi’ country bumpkins, but inside the home they were forbidden to speak English. Samoan values and traditions within the home were strong.
Upon moving to Auckland some of the siblings were overwhelmed with the immersion into a large Pacific community. One of his siblings has never mixed well with ‘brown people’ but the two younger brothers are more urbanised and immersed in the melting pot of Auckland city’s population.
Growing up they always felt the pressure of being ‘perfect’ and not making mistakes. Because of this they struggled with having the freedom to experience a ‘normal’ childhood against the expectations of being Minister’s sons.
Reverend Asora Amosa is well-known for his oratory skills and was one of a few Pacific Island ministers whose sermons were bilingual. He would often preach in both English and Samoan to accommodate non-Samoan visitors in the congregation. He was also one of the first Presbyterian ministers to introduce a band into church services to play ‘praise and worship’ music, a style more affiliated with Evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Unlike most Faletua’s, Asora's wife Henga worked a fulltime job outside of church ministry duties because ‘she didn’t see any point in sitting around’. Her role in the church made her influential with her work in Pacific communities.
Rev Asora retired in 2014 and he and Henga now attend a charismatic multicultural church.
Suggested Link:
Portraits of Poly Pastors Kids - The Mika Sisters
Portraits of Poly Pastors Kids - Setoga Family