Pasifika Community Unites Methodist Pacific Islanders Creating a New Spiritual Home in Las Vegas

Pasifika created a first of its kind shared space for First Samoan United Methodist Fellowship (‘New Paradise’), First Filipino-American Fellowship (‘Promised Land’), and First Tongan United Methodist Fellowship (‘Destined for Eternity’) congregations.

“Pasifika for the first time gives our local Pacific Islander community a cultural hub all our own,” said Rev. Timote Piukala, North District Superintendent for the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church. “We are all birthed of the same water – the water of the Pacific and the water of the love of Christ.”

Opening its doors in December of 2023, the combined ministries at Pasifika celebrated their new permanent space for worship, engaging new members, and strengthening their community. The facility includes a charter school that the congregations can rely on to generate revenue to support their growth and ministries long term.

Pasifika was made possible by a collaboration among the Desert Southwest Conference, the Desert Southwest Foundation, the Committee on Finance and Administration, and local churches, with Wesleyan Impact Partners providing the loan required to affordably acquire the building.

“Pasifika is a model for empowering cultural faith communities across the Methodist landscape,” said Rev. Rachel Gilmore, who leads the Desert Southwest Conference’s New and Vital Faith Committee. “It’s a way to live into our diversity as Methodists and ensure our churches have access to all the resources they need to thrive.”