Samuel Raapoto

Samuel Raapoto (22 May 1921 - 15 June 1976)[1] was a French Polynesian religious leader, who from 1963 until his death was first president of the Maohi Protestant Church.

[2] Raapoto was born in Tevaitoa, on the island of Raiatea, in a Protestant family.

[1] In 1963, he became the first president of the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia, and remained so until his death on 15 June 1976,[3] giving his function at the head of this Protestant church a recognized prestige.

[5] Finally, he took care to forge relations with international Protestant organizations.

[1] He was also a founding member of the Tahitian Academy,[6] Fare Vāna'a, and temporarily provided it with space at the headquarters of his Church in its early years.