November 22 Kingdom of Tonga
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November 22 Kingdom of Tonga
HDI Rank 99th/182. Public debt 47.7% of GDP. Income/person $2,510 (5% of USA). Fiji Tonga South Pacific Ocean November 22 Nuku'alofa Tonga Kingdom of Tonga Pacific Area 747 sq km. Archipelago of 171 coral and volcanic islands, 36 being inhabited, 600 km east of Fiji. Population 2010 104,260 2020 108,351 2030 115,487 Ann Gr 0.46% 0.65% 0.65% Density 140/sq km 145/sq km 155/sq km Capital Nuku’alofa 24,300. Urbanites 25.3%.The Tongan diaspora (New Zealand,Australia, USA) is as numerous as the population of Tonga itself. Pop under 15 yrs 37%. Life expectancy 71.7 yrs. Tongan 98.2%. Speaking three related languages. Other 1.8%. Includes mixed race, Caucasian, Chinese, other Polynesian. Literacy 100%. Official language Tongan. All languages 3. Languages with Scriptures 2Bi 2w.i.p. Remittances are the largest source of income, followed by tourism. Subsistence agriculture continues. The value of imports is five times larger than exports. Tonga British Protected State 1900-1970. Constitutional monarchy with the king and nobles having predominant influence. A growing movement toward democracy since 1990 and with the death of the king in 2006, but political demonstrations indicate that the pace is too slow for many proreformers. The first elected prime minister assumed responsibilities in 2006. Though avowedly Christian, there is freedom for all religions. The Free Wesleyan Church enjoys a privileged position, with the king as titular head. Religions Christian Baha’i Non-religious Chinese Buddhist Hindu Pop % 95.76 3.50 0.40 0.20 0.11 0.03 Population 99,839 3,649 417 209 115 31 Ann Gr 0.4% 2.3% -1.9% 6.4% 0.5% 9.0% Christians Denoms Pop % Affiliates Ann Gr Protestant 8 42.62 44,000 -0.8% Independent 10 11.37 12,000 0.3% Anglican 1 1.58 2,000 1.9% Catholic 1 15.35 16,000 0.3% Marginal 2 52.53 55,000 0.8% Doubly affiliated -27.72 -29,000 0.0% The high doubly affiliated figure is largely due to Mormon claims for those who retain membership in other denominations. Churches MegaBloc Congs Members Affiliates Latter-day Saints M 220 21,800 54,500 Free Wesleyan Church P 138 8,263 29,500 Catholic Church C 13 9,302 16,000 Free Church of Tonga P 76 6,993 10,000 Ch of Tonga I 33 3,323 5,550 Tokailolo Fellowship I 10 1,500 3,000 Assemblies of God P 60 1,850 2,500 Other denominations[15] 83 4,421 7,648 Doubly affiliated -28,900 Total Christians[22] 633 57,452 99,798 November 22 823 T TransBloc Evangelicals Evangelicals Renewalists Charismatics Pentecostals Pop % Population Ann Gr 15.5 16,110 0.4% 12.0 5.5 12,537 5,720 3.2% 1.1% Answers to Prayer Christian presence and influence in daily life means that nearly all Tongans q Ahavestrong access to the gospel. Jesus March and Global Day of Prayer continue to be annual proclamations of w The Christ’s lordship. Tonga sends significant numbers of missionaries from both Catholic and Protestant e traditions, despite its relative poverty and isolation. Much more can be done; YWAM and other evangelical groups are working toward this. Challenges for Prayer Tonga’s rich Christian heritage is a blessing, but has reached the point of oversaturation. q The proliferation of denominations generates competition among churches, as newer groups entice believers away. Isolation and the difficult economic situation complicate issues further. Pray that Tongan Christians would seek ways to contribute to the Kingdom of God rather than seeking the church that benefits them the most. The past century has been one of spiritual decline. There is a long and sad history of w bitter schisms within Methodism. Politics and Church are inextricable; even the newer denominations’ apolitical stance assumes acceptance of the status quo. Pray for a true spirit of unity among all believers and churches, and pray for leaders who will exemplify unity with gracious and humble spirits. Tonga has the world’s highest national percentage of Mormons, but possibly the majority e of those claimed by Mormons would not consider themselves such. The country’s largest employers are Mormons; many financial perks are on offer for those considering the switch. Pray for the error of this sect to be exposed as such, and for many to find freedom in Christ. The Tongan diaspora is now larger than the population of Tonga itself. Many lose their r faith in their host nations, others retain it only loosely as a cultural identity. Pray that Tongans abroad might also recapture the dynamic faith of their forefathers and the vision to take the gospel to the world. t Specialized ministries. Pray for the lasting impact of: a) Youth ministries. YFC, SU, CCCI and YWAM work among young people, who are a high proportion of the Tongan population. T b) Christian TV. Praise God that much TV available in Tonga is Christian. c) Christian literature. The Bible Society and SU distribute Bibles and other Christian materials widely. 824 Tonga Operation World