Episode 6 - South Pacific Perspectives

Season 1 - Justice + Love = Faith in action

• 5/26/26

Episode 6 - South Pacific Perspectives

In this rich and deeply personal conversation, two Samoan diaspora women — community leader Rosaline Parker and pastor Moe Stiles — bring their Pacific perspectives to bear on some of the most pressing justice questions of our time. From the village wisdom encoded in Samoan proverbs to the overlooked crises in New Caledonia and West Papua, Rosaline and Moe challenge us to see justice not as a trendy cause but as a continuous, rooted commitment shaped by culture, ancestry, and faith.

Together, they unpack what decolonization really means — not as rejection, but as reclamation. They reflect on the cost of navigating majority culture while holding onto indigenous identity, the responsibility of the church to embody the justice at the heart of the gospel, and the importance of intercultural inclusion over tokenistic diversity. This is a conversation about showing up fully, knowing where you come from, and doing the work even when it's not in the headlines.

KEY QUOTES

"I truly believe that in order to solve many of the issues happening in the world, it is important that we put the voices of those on the margins at the forefront." — Rosaline Parker

"You cannot divorce or separate a person from their environment." — Pastor Moe Stiles

"Decolonization is a process of unpacking the colonial work and systems that have silenced a lot of our incredible Indigenous voices — and so it is confronting, but also so freeing." — Pastor Moe Stiles

"The Pacific is often known as the Forgotten Pacific. Our struggles are rarely known at the global stage, and sometimes not even known to each other." — Rosaline Parker

"I know that I have been blessed with this voice and the privilege to know where I come from. Some people are being exiled from their islands. So I will do what I can to uplift them." — Rosaline Parker

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro & Theme Music

00:07 Host Welcome — Nathan & Dilys

01:54 Guest Introductions — Rosaline Parker & Pastor Moe Stiles

03:14 How Culture Shapes Our Engagement with Justice

10:28 What Decolonization Really Means — and What It Costs

22:55 Prioritizing Justice Issues: The Forgotten Pacific

31:01 The Role of the Church in Justice Work

34:39 Learning About and Telling Indigenous Stories

38:00 Justice Work as Embodied Work

39:10 Justice Work is Church Work

44:10 Decolonizing Mission Work

51:50 Fa'afetai Tele Lava

54:15 Closing— Nathan & Dilys

Guest Links

Rosaline Parker — PAEL Network with Micah Australia: Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network - Micah Australia

Rosaline Parker — The Root Crop

Moe Stiles — Crosswalk Melbourne Church

Resources Referenced

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — referenced by Moe Stiles
Pasifika for Palestine — Pacific solidarity group
West Papua / New Caledonia / Marshall Islands — justice issues highlighted in the episode

CALL TO ACTION

This Week's Challenge

This week, do one act of intentional learning about the Pacific. Look up what is currently happening in New Caledonia, West Papua, Tuvalu or the Marshall Islands. Share what you learn with one person. Curiosity is where justice begins.

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