The history of Christianity in Samoa

 

Christianity was introduced to Samoa in 1830 by John Williams of the London Missionary Society (LMS). It rapidly spread and became deeply integrated into Samoan culture, influencing social norms and daily life, particularly the observance of Sundays as a day of worship and rest. Today, the vast majority of Samoans identify as Christian, and the church plays a significant role in community life and social structures. 

Christianity is the official and largest religion in Samoa, with its various denominations accounting for around 98% of the total population.[1] The article 1 of the Constitution of Samoa states that “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.[2]

The following is a distribution of Christian groups as of 2021 (the most recent census available): Congregational Christian (27 percent), Roman Catholic (18 percent), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (17.6 percent), Methodist (11.8 percent), Assemblies of God (10.1 percent) and Seventh-day Adventist (4.9 percent).[3] Groups together constituting less than 5 percent of the population include Baháʼí, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Congregational Church of Jesus, Nazarene, nondenominational Protestant, Baptist, Worship Centre, Peace Chapel, Samoa Evangelism, Elim Church, and Anglican. A comparison of the 2006 and 2011 censuses shows a slight decline in the membership of major denominations and an increase in participation in nontraditional and evangelical groups.