Denominations played an important part in the construction of colonial societies. Colonial education, health care, social welfare, the press, philanthropy, and politics were all shaped by Christian influences. Sectarianism was a distorting factor throughout the region, but was used by some Melanesians and Polynesians to their own advantage. Islanders created their own kinds of Christian society, while settler churches established new kinds of governance and ministry to cope with the constraints of distance and isolation.
Keywords: denominations, education, governance, Melanesians, ministry, philanthropy, politics, Polynesians, sectarianism, social Welfare