Samuel Raapoto (22 May 1921 – 15 June 1976) was a

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

n religious leader, who from 1963 until his death was first president of the

Maohi Protestant Church The Maohi Protestant Church (; ) is a Reformed church in French Polynesia. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The first missionaries arrived in 1797. After 1815 the majority of the population identified themselves with ...

. He was a founding member of the

Tahitian Academy The Tahitian Academy (, ) is a cultural institution in French Polynesia with the purpose of preserving and promoting the Tahitian language. The Academy standardizes vocabulary, grammar, and spelling; promotes the publication and translation of works ...

. He was the father of politician and academic

Jean-Marius Raapoto Jean-Marius Raapoto (1 January 1943 – 23 March 2025) was a French Polynesian educator, academic and politician who served as a Council of Ministers (French Polynesia), Cabinet Minister. He was a major advocate for the Tahitian language, and se ...

, linguist

Turo Raapoto Turo a Raapoto or Turo Raapoto (sometimes spelled Duro Raapoto) (16 March 1948 – 7 May 2014) was a French Polynesian linguist, writer and theologian. He was the son of religious leader Samuel Raapoto and the brother of academic Jean-Marius Raapo ...

, and journalist Etienne Raapoto. Raapoto was born in Tevaitoa, on the island of Raiatea, in a Protestant family. After training at the pastoral school in

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

, he became pastor of the parish of Mahaena, then of the island of

Makatea Makatea, or Mangaia-te-vai-tamae, is a raised coral atoll in the northwestern part of the Tuamotus, which is a part of the French overseas collectivity of French Polynesia. It is located southwest from Rangiroa to the west of the Palliser Islan ...

, while being employed at the ''Compagnie des Phosphates de l'Océanie''. He then studied theology in Strasbourg before returning to French Polynesia. In 1963, he became the first president of the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia, and remained so until his death on 15 June 1976, giving his function at the head of this Protestant church a recognized prestige. He worked in particular to unify the

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

of this church. Finally, he took care to forge relations with international Protestant organizations. He was also a founding member of the

, ''Fare Vāna'a'', and temporarily provided it with space at the headquarters of his Church in its early years. He died of a heart attack on 15 June 1976.

Tributes

A stamp bearing his likeness was issued in 1988. In 2000, a high school of the Ma'ohi Protestant Church was named after him.

References

1921 births 1976 deaths People from Raiatea French Polynesian Protestants French Polynesian religious leaders Members of the Tahitian Academy {{FrenchPolynesia-bio-stub