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History

History

Pango Village - 1989

In 1989, John Tangalobani from Ambae, a School Teacher, a Unionists who was at the forefront fighting for Teachers rights,once a soccer player at the Teachers College as a student with some experience in Renewal Movement pledged his allegiance to become the first United Pentecostal Church Pastor of Port Vila after being converted to the Oneness Truth. The doctrine of the Oneness Truth and the true way of salvation in Jesus Name was never known until the coming of two missionaries from the States to Vanuatu back in 1983 that ended up baptizing a Tongan born Ni-van in Jesus name, Brother Funa followed by Late Pastor James Kalmet in 1984 during their second visit. It was through Late Pastor James Kalmet, initially a Holiness Fellowship Pastor who started a family gathering at his home at Pango that eventually led to the establishment of the Pango Pentecostal Church where John Tangalobani and his wife, Katiri Tangalobani were members then.

Known at the time by Trinitarians as JESUS ONLY church, John Tangalobani was joined by his wife who was also a school teacher, teaching at Pango Primary School when they received a call from God and the blessing from the Pango Pentecostal Church to move and started the Pentecostal Church of Port Vila, which we know today as Apostolic Christian Tabernacle (ACT). Besides John Tangalobani as the Senior Pastor, Harry Kalo from Makira Island, a Musician who loved country music, played string band in his youth, practically a carpenter/builder all his life was appointed Assistant Pastor to the newly Port Vila Pentecostal Church.

  At that time, the doctrines and the beliefs of the United Pentecostal Church International of Vanuatu (UPCIV) was in its infant stage. This meant a lot of preaching and teaching were required by Pastor Tangalobani and his Assistant Harry Kalo to instill the Oneness Truth doctrine and the true salvation message based on Deuteronomy 6:4 and Acts 2:38 to the hearts and minds of those who have been taught previously the trinity doctrine given that the Port Vila Pentecostal church was the only one besides the Late Kalmet’s Pango Pentecostal Church. As the need and demand for the Oneness truth message increased, the Assistant Pastor was used by the Senior Pastor as the evangelist of the local church to boost Oneness truth and baptism in Jesus name message to the wider community within Port Vila and through the islands of Vanuatu.

 With a new role coupled with the new Oneness doctrine and true salvation in Jesus Name belief, Pastor Tangalobani and his Assistant at the time may not have fully visualize where they will end up and in which direction God will lead them just like Abraham who by faith went without knowing where he was going when God called him. While they may not have the full vision at the time of having a permanent Church Land and Church Building, their newly Pastoral roles to assume could just meant a Ministry work with temporary shelters good enough for the few saints at the time.

1989-2000 - Further Movement - Melcoffee, Tebakor, USP, Chief Nakamal

With the few members at the time coupled with financial constraint to secure a permanent land to build a permanent church building, they had to move to different places including Melcoffee (1989), Tebakor (1989), Pango (1989), USP Emalus Campus (1990), Melcoffee (1990-1999), Chief’s Nakamal (1999-2000), ACTS II Property (2000-2007) and finally to its own property at Freshwater in 2007.

This is God’s will as He has a bigger and better plan for them as He did to Moses and Aaron in the wilderness until they reached their own promised land. Besides, it was a testing time for the Oneness Truth followers at the time down through the history of the ACT Church Movements, to see if the pioneers would remain faithful to the Oneness Truth of God before arriving at the final Promised permanent Land.

Over these years, as more souls were added to the church, God was preparing able men and woman of God to help in the ministry, established departments and started a more organized Church Movement to the point of time where it is today. Jubilee celebrations.

Acquisition of permanent property for ACT church at Fresh Wota!!

As Pastor John Tangalobani and his Assistant Pastor took church around just like Israelites in the wilderness moving from places to places, God was molding and preparing them through challenges and shaping them for a better harvest ahead. If they had a comfortable place right from day one, they would become like other established mother churches that remained the same and could have lost sight of the TRUTH they stood for. We believed that God gave them time before giving them the Promised Land to FIRMLY BELEIVE the TRUTH they preached themselves to others as they are accountable for what they believe and preached on Judgment Day. Besides, facing the challenges of the well established mother churches that see their flocks leaving for the TRUTH preached by Pastor Tangalobani and his Assistant Pastor Kalo and their followers caused ill feelings from among the mother churches as this was a different doctrine from the one they received from the Missionaries who first arrived with the Gospel on Vanuatu shores.

Furthermore, taking this TRUTH into the already established Presbyterian, Anglican, Catholics, Churches of Christ, SDA and other first churches in Vanuatu was not an easy task in the Port Vila community. The two newly Pentecostal Pastors and their members in Port Vila had to be well prepared through layers of prayers to make a breakthrough.Courage and Boldness and Faith in the Name of JESUS were the key for their success that is evident today.

 It was evident that the two pastors, John Tangalobani and his Assistant Pastor both have a big heart…a heart to reach out for lost souls…an evangelistic heart. They had been threatened, their lives at risk for the sake of the gospel…but they pressed on with perseverance and faith. The growth and the branching out of the Port Vila church is accredited to their time, effort, much prayer and fasting; and standing by their side are their prayerful and supportive wives Katiri Tangalobani and Rossie Kalo. The ACT church members SALUT their heroes…heroes who had nurtured them from a lost and dying world into a world of truth and love in the kingdom of our God and King, JESUS CHRIST.

Continuous innovation and transformation

Twenty five (25) years of challenges, hardships, trials and persecutions as well as rewards in souls winning to the Oneness Truth of God and the only true way of salvation for eternal life is worth mentioning. It was through and part of the struggles, hardships and as well as achievements that saw the birth of two new daughter churches of ACT in Port Vila namely All Nations Pentecostal Church (ANP) opposite Lycee and Pentecostal Life Center (PLC) at Holen Fresh wind established respectively by Brother Wayne Goodaire of New Zealand and Brother Joseph Bongilu from Pentecost Island.

Pastor Tangalobani had to release Sister Leiwia George to help out in the music ministry with Brother John Shem to help out with the Youths of All Nations. Likewise, Brother Allan Bani from Ambae and his family and Tom Bush from Epi were released from ACT church to help Brother Joseph at PLC.

Besides, ACT church was able to send able men and woman of God to outreach throughout the islands of Vanuatu through these years which today UPCI Vanuatu has established churches, to name but a few, Epi, Emae, Torman Island, and Tanna. Brother Manuel Bule was sent to Torman Island, Brother Robert David to Emae, Brother John Shem and Seru to Futuna, and Brother Eddy Bule to Tongoa. Other churches that were started through ACT outreach program were Nuvi Pentecostal church, Malvasi Pentecostal church, Laman Bay Pentecostal church and Futuna Pentecostal church. It is important to note that these churches were started through family relatives that are strong members of the ACT church.

ACT