Meet the Minister

Kia ora tatou, greeting and malo e lelei,  my name is Saikolone Taufa, and I am the current minister for Kaeo-Kerikeri Union Parish. I grew up in a Christian family at a small village in Tonga, called Lavengatonga. My wife’s name is Fele’unga and we have only one daughter and her name is Tokilupe Taufa.

I started ministry in 2003 as a student-in-ministry and started parish ministry in 2006. My first parish was Christchurch North Methodist Parish, in Christchurch and I was there for 7 years. My second parish was Waitakere Methodist Parish, in Auckland, and I was there for 7 years as well. Kaeo-Kerikeri Union Parish is my third parish and I started her in February 2020.

Through my experiences of parish ministry, I have learned to interact with a diverse group of people, which has increased my ability to relate to others.

My passion in ministry is to make this world a better place for all people, this had been the driving force that pushed me to ministry, and it has been evident in my involvement in so many Community Groups before I went into ministry.

Having been a minister for some time now, one of the most important lesson that I’ve learnt is – ‘that the more I think I know – is the more I know that I don’t know” (Koe lahi ange ‘eku pehee kuou ‘ilo’i ha me’a, koe lahi ange ia ‘eku ‘ilo ‘oku ‘ikai keu ‘ilo ha me’a) Malo ‘aupito.