Methodist Conference 2018 Te Haahi Weteriana O Aotearoa CONFERENCE SUMMARY

Transcription

1 Methodist Conference 2018 Te Haahi Weteriana O Aotearoa CONFERENCE SUMMARY Weaving Us Together to Proclaim Life Whiria tātou, ka tauākī he oranga The Annual Conference of the Methodist Church of New Zealand met at St Andrews College in Christchurch from Saturday 29 September until Wednesday 3 October 2018 The intention of this record is to provide Conference delegates with summary material to report back to their congregations. This needs to be read in conjunction with the Conference sheets, where full lists of people involved, roles, and appointments will be found. That material and the formal record of decisions and minutes taken by Conference secretaries takes precedence over these more informal notes, for historical and legal purposes! Full proceedings and formal records of conference are available on the Methodist website, Overseas Guests of Conference included: Rev Finau Ahio Rev Garry Dronfield Ratu Peni Volavola Rev Solomona Potogi (President, Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga) (President, Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Congress & Representative Uniting Church in Australia) (Vice President, Methodist Church in Fiji) (Methodist Church in Samoa) Observers from Other New Zealand Churches: Rev Fakaofo Kaio (Moderator Elect, Presbyterian Church) Bishop Ross Bay (Auckland Diocese, Anglican Church) Dean Anne Mills (Auckland Diocese, Anglican Church) Ven Canon Helen Roud (Anglican Diocese of Christchurch) Carole Sandford (Catholic Church in Aotearoa NZ) Rev Stephanie Wells (Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa NZ) Rev Phyllis Harris (Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa NZ) Page 1

2 SATURDAY Methodists began gathering in Christchurch from Thursday afternoon for preliminary meetings and on Friday for caucus meetings. Then Conference 2018 began on Saturday with the powhiri when we remembered and honoured those who had died since we last met - those who had contributed as leaders to our life at Conference. Members of Ngāi Tahu whanui, tangata whenua, were joined by members of local congregations to welcome manuhiri, both families of the deceased and those attending Conference. The powhiri led into a service to honour those who had died. Through a power-point presentation, each was remembered individually with a photo and phrase to encapsulate their gifts and lives of service. Rev Ken Olsen and Keita Hotere led us through this time; for each person whom we honoured, chaplain Kalo Kaisa placed a sprig of rosemary or lavender in a basket, which was taken out with us and given to their families with a small commemorative gift and book of tributes. Following lunch, Rev Setaita Taumoepeau K. Veikune and Nicola Teague Grundy were inducted as President and Vice-President for At this service of celebration, they introduced their theme Weaving Us Together to Proclaim Life Whiria tātou, ka tauākī he oranga, incorporating this as an act of commitment for us all through the Methodist Covenant Service and celebrating Holy Communion. Music and singing were integral to this occasion. The ministry of retirees was celebrated through a short service and grateful acknowledgements; we also received into Full Connexion those being transferred from other Churches and those being ordained, then welcomed our official guests. SUNDAY On Sunday morning, there were several opportunities to join local congregations for worship. In the afternoon, we gathered again for another highlight in the life of Te Hāhi, namely the Ordination Service. Our celebrations were tinged with sadness at knowing we had lost a gifted ordinand a few weeks earlier. Ex- President Rev Prince Devanandan presented a challenged to live out their ordination vows in servant ministry to the four new presbyters: Sikeli Cawanikawai, Lopiseni Fungalei, Arapera Bella Ngaha and Tisileli Taufa. We celebrated by sharing communion together. After a full programme of formal celebrations, people were free to join bus trips to view the Christchurch CBD, attend an organised dinner or relax with others before the business of Conference began on Monday. MONDAY Please note: All Conference agenda papers are on the Methodist website Conference opened with singing Give thanks with a grateful heart. Opening Worship was lead by the Presidential Team and Chaplains. With some active singing of This Little Light of Mine.and Setaita thanking everyone for being present The Conference theme of Weaving us together to Proclaim Life was explored and shared. Nasili Vaka uta Principal of Trinity College, taking the first of three theology sessions addressed the subject of sexual violence by looking at incidents in the Bible and the role of the Church in both challenging and being compliant in covering violence and abuse up. We celebrated the announcement of President Elect Rev Andrew Doubleday, and Vice President Elect Etuini Talakai. Andrew then spoke about the role of leadership, as one ministry among others using 1 Corinthians: The body is made of many parts, each one of us is an important part. Ex-President and Ex-Vice President Reflection Prince Devanandan and Viv then reflected on their 2 years of office using road signs to illustrate the points they wanted us to get - Expect the unexpected. Page 2

3 Greetings from Guests The invited overseas guests and observers were introduced to Conference. Rev Gary Dronfield, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Congress and Representative Uniting Church of Australia brought greetings and best wishes from his Church to ours and presented our President with a copy of their constitution and a boomerang! (he didn t throw the boomerang!). The President of the Korean Methodist Church presented a greeting from Bishop Rev Leon Seon Do congregation to the Methodist Church of NZ. The Lord be with you. Thank you. Bishop Ross Bay, Anglican Church in Aotearoa NZ and Polynesia spoke of work of Anglican and Methodist Churches together. Conference Reporting Started with Methodism Aotearoa Origins and Impact presented by Historical Society. And promoting the Methodism in Aotearoa event in Auckland on May Wesley College Trust Board reported that this year is their 175 th Anniversary.and introduced their new Principal Brian Evans. Conference adopted the Climate Justice Policy A Donation Box was set up for the Solar Power Unit Fund for Helena Goldie Hospital, and Conference attendees were encouraged to be generous in their giving! Closing devotions led by the Presidential Team and the Chaplains took us quietly from the busyness of the day into rest for the night.in preparation for the days ahead. TUESDAY We began with a theological reflection led by Dr Emily Colgan and the Vice President. We worked with Mark 14:3-9; the story of how a woman comes into the house of Simon the Leper and anoints Jesus in what seems an extravagant, even a wasteful way but in a way which Jesus describes as beautiful and to be remembered always. In this story though her actions spoke loudly she does not speak. Who then does not speak, or who do we not hear? This led to a lively, engaging exchange. At Conference of course we are meant to give time and attention to hearing each other but it s not always easy. Sometimes we us hear but do not see, many us have talked to Connexional Office staff about really important matters by phone or but have never met them. The General Secretary introduced the office staff and it was great to hear the applause and cheers of members of Conference. One key member of staff (Peter van Hout) reminded us later in the day he is not a Methodist, but as a delegate said he (and all our office staff) are most certainly family. Part of the day was given over to our working groups, many people have said how these have enabled people to speak who may not have felt confident to do this on the floor of Conference. We are maybe practicing some of that real listening this Conference! When reports came back it was decided to give first place to the report from the Rangitahi workshop, again a good example of the practice of real listening. Those who are less heard should be heard first! We also benefitted from the youthful energy shown in leading us in song, even if some of us lose our coordination with action songs. It is impossible to capture the reporting back in detail in this reflection, and the data is easily available elsewhere. But in our reports it was evident some working groups had much to consider and hearing how they engaged with really significant topics helped all of us when resolutions were discussed and presented on the floor of Conference. On one matter Taha Maori needed to caucus and this presented Tauiwi with time to stretch, take the air and to sing. It is a Conference survival mechanism to make the most of opportunities like this. Some of us also took this time to reflect on the need for the two partners to really listen to each other. The day ended in reflective mood with a closing of day which skilfully weaved together Te Reo and English and transitioned us from working to rest. Page 3

4 Half a day to go, more listening to do and the business of returning home for us all. Reflecting on what it is to weave the bright fabric of Christian life and community. WEDNESDAY Some Conference members began the day with a visit to the Christchurch Earthquake Memorial. The Bible Study was led by Rev Dr Sione Havea who challenged the Conference to look ahead being negotiators using Pacifika artwork and metaphor. The decisions from UCANZ for a revised structure were agreed as was the Responsible Investment Policy. The Climate Justice Policy invites the Church to engage in action focussed on care for the earth and climate change. This was adopted. The Church is being challenged to work on 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The incoming National President of Methodist Women s Fellowship, Sineva Vitahi was introduced. $1,320 of donations were given by Conference members for the Mission and Ecumenical Solar Panel Porject in the Solomon Islands. Finally it was announced that Conference 2020 will be hosted by the Lower North Island Synod. COMMUNICATION TO THE WIDER CHURCH Spirit of love Who moves with creation Drawing the threads to Colour and design Life into life, you weave our true salvation: Though we have frayed The fabric of your making, Tearing away from all That you intend Yet to be whole, Humanity is aching: The Conference of Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa gathered from 29 September to 3 October 2018 in Ōtautahi/ Christchurch and asked what is God saying to us now? What more can be done to promote the work of God? In worship and prayer, through bible study and work groups we considered these questions. Our Conference Theme, Weaving Us Together to Proclaim Life, encouraged us to acknowledge the abuses of our past, confront the challenges of our present and to dare to envisage a life- affirming future. We continue on our bi-cultural journey, rooted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the covenant establishing our nation on the basis of a power sharing relationship and guiding how we undertake mission. Throughout the Conference, we sought to build the common mind of the group through consensus decision making. We engaged in a new way of conversation, moving away from reporting back on what we have been doing, to looking forward to new possibilities. As a Connexional church, we recognise our diversity; our different cultures, ages, genders and sexual orientations, yet are called to connect to one another and to be in relationship with each other. As a Church, we have committed ourselves to continuing our exploration of what it means to be Connexional, recognising that in weaving, you cannot have a dominant strand. We celebrated the rangatahi/ young people amongst us, giving thanks for their talents and skills. We are enriched by the wisdom they chose to share with us especially as they call us to engage with the realities of what it means to proclaim life in all its complexity. The issues they spoke their truth to included sexuality, Page 4

5 violence in all its forms, drug and alcohol addiction, youth suicide/mental health, social media and resource sharing. We have been blessed by the leadership given by Trinity College in giving us the opportunity to engage in deep theological reflection. We affirm the commitment of those who are studying for ministry in their journey of faith and continue to pray for them as they continue their studies. We recognise that human resources are the most precious gift within the Church and give thanks for the time, skills and abilities that people through the country commit to the Church. We are challenged to ensure that there is balanced representation on the Board and Committees from all parts of the Connexion to more fully reflect the nature and face of our Church. We remind ourselves that to be Methodist is to be ecumenical and that this will guide the way in which we enter into conversations with all Churches throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. We are ashamed of the abuses committed against children and other vulnerable people in Methodist residential homes. We commit ourselves to developing a process to redress this injustice. As Church, we commit to supporting strong and resilient tamariki and whānau. As Churches who are located in local communities, we will contribute to building connected and vibrant communities. We are committed to using our collective resources and investments wisely and ethically, and have been challenged how these could be used to provide warm, safe and affordable housing. As a Church in Aotearoa in solidarity with other Pacific Churches, we affirm God s love for the whole of Creation. We affirmed the climate justice policy and commit ourselves to moving beyond words to action. While we met at Conference, a large earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia and many people lost their lives or livelihoods. As a church committed to the wider world, we remember Indonesia and its people in our prayers and commend the CWS appeal to our members. We also committed ourselves to familiarise and commit ourselves to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Great loom of God, Where history is woven, You are the frame that holds us to the truth, Christ is the theme The pattern you have given: WANT TO SEE MORE? Did you miss the weekend services and/or the live streaming? The events of the opening weekend of Conference were recorded and are available online see links at NEXT CONFERENCE IS IN LOWER NORTH ISLAND IN 2020! (Date and location TBA) Page 5