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Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand

CCANZ is the national forum for shared ecumenical witness by its 13 associate and member churches, representing mainstream Protestant, Orthodox and Liberal Catholic churches in this country, and responding to Jesus' call to be one (John 17.20).

Report

(1) A strategic planning and visioning weekend for the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand (CCANZ) was held in March 2002. This event was initiated in view of continued reductions in denominational contributions, and the difficulties experienced by CCANZ in maintaining the level of 'people resource' needed to support the programmes of the Conference in their existing form. The visioning drew together the Conference executive, together with leaders or delegated representatives from the majority of member churches. In addition to the Presbyterian members on the Conference executive (Gaynor Larsen, Ellen Murray and the Rev Max Reid) the Presbyterian Church was also represented by the Revs Martin Stewart and Chris Nichol (on behalf of the Moderator and Assembly Executive Secretary).

(2) This event provided a significant opportunity to review and refocus the work of the Conference of Churches. Influenced by our own understandings, and the input from the other Church representatives, the executive concluded that the mandate of a number of existing Conference programmes had been fulfilled. It was decided that, while these were treasures of the ecumenical movement within the life of our churches, nevertheless these programmes should now be appropriately honoured and responsibly closed.

(3) The strategic planning meeting and executive were equally aware of both the opportunity and responsibility that the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) sets before us. We decided that in fact this should become the key focus of the Conference's work (with and on behalf of its member churches) in the coming years. Accordingly, it was agreed that while some programmes could appropriately be wound up, the work of the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand was certainly far from over - and would, over the next ten years, be focussed more specifically on coordinating a New Zealand response to the DOV.

(4) The Conference's Justice Peace and Service, Evangelism, Public Issues and Youth programmes, together with the existing Programme on Racism have, on this basis, been disestablished - and will be formally celebrated and honoured at the Conference's annual Forum in August 2002. However, the Conference is especially conscious of the churches' longstanding commitment to addressing issues of racism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and it has been agreed that this will become a key focus within the Conference's work in relation to the Decade to Overcome Violence.

(5) A full-time staff person will be appointed to co-ordinate the Conference's response to the Decade to Overcome Violence, including raising awareness of the Decade within the life of the Church, and coordinating the identification and/or production of appropriate resources to enable local parishes to fully engage with this critical initiative.

(6) We hope that Presbyterian congregations will find their own ways to embrace the challenge of DOV. The challenge to our denomination as a whole, however, is to find better ways to facilitate CCANZ's role within our denomination than currently exist. We believe the Presbyterian Church has been ably represented on the Conference in various ways over many years. However, we are concerned that appropriate mechanisms do not exist to support and utilise our Church's representation at Conference executive level, nor to facilitate an appropriate level of communication between the Conference and the Presbyterian Church. We believe that this is a shared responsibility, rather than one that falls solely to the church's appointed representatives on the Conference executive - and one that Council of Assembly needs to urgently address.

(7) One of the main purposes served by the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand is to provide an ecumenical space for the member denominations to voice their views on issues affecting us all. In the past year these have included such critical issues as the churches' reaction to the terrorism of September 11th, the recent Government decision to hold funding at its current levels for Hospital Chaplaincy (forcing cuts to be made to its services), and a concern that churches commit to responsible and ethical investment strategies. Issues such as these will continue to be addressed under the new vision of our churches working together on the initiative towards the Decade to Overcome Violence.

(8) While the work of Christian World Service (the aid, justice and development agency of the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand) is reported upon separately to Assembly, we would wish to congratulate CWS on their continuing commitment and achievements over the past year. CWS continues to be the recognised aid, justice and development agency of the Presbyterian Church, and we would commend their work to the Assembly, encouraging parishes throughout the country to promote and support CWS as they are able.

(9) We are grateful for the Presbyterian Church's ongoing financial support of the Conference, enabling us to work as churches together, promoting and enacting the vision of our Christian faith in an increasingly secular world.

Michael Earle

General Secretary

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