Semisi Nau—A Pacific Islander Missionary

Abstract

Pacific Islander missionaries played a unique role in the spread of Christianity throughout the Pacific, although they have been largely ignored in the written record. The autobiography of Semisi Nau, a Tongan Methodist missionary who worked in the Solomon Islands, provides significant insights into the life, motivation, suffering, and commitment of one of these missionaries. The Pacific Islander missionaries were caught between missionary expectations, their own sense of vocation and calling, cultural pressures, and the demands of working in isolated areas where they were not necessarily welcome. Semisi Nau exemplifies many of the best missionary qualities.