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Association of Presbyterian Women

Terms of Reference:

The joint Aim of the Association of Presbyterian Women and the Methodist Women's Fellowship is:

TO UNITE all in prayer, study, fellowship and service, enabling them to make a Christian witness in home and Church and community;

TO SUPPORT, at home and abroad, the work of the parent churches;

TO ENCOURAGE an informed interest in worldwide mission and evangelism.

Recommendations

(1) That the Council of Assembly together with Policy Groups and the National Executive of the Association of Presbyterian Women seek to find ways of bringing the APW into a closer association and working relationship with the whole church.

(2) That the Assembly supports and encourages the APW as it works through a restructuring process in order to become more effective and more relevant to the needs of women in the church today.

Synopsis

• APW integral part of the Presbyterian Church
• Achievements
• Membership down, results up
• Changes affecting APW
• Lack of connection

Report

1.1 The Association of Presbyterian Women as an organisation within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand owes allegiance to the Presbyterian Church but is not governed by it. APW is an autonomous body, able to set its own Constitution, manage its own finances, and determine its own future. Nevertheless, APW considers itself to be an integral part of the Presbyterian Church, without which the whole church would be immeasurably poorer. In accordance with the church's strategy of building healthy congregations, APW is women doing ministry and mission with enthusiasm, commitment, energy and creativity, locally, nationally, and internationally.

1.2 APW again reminds the Church that although women make up approximately two-thirds of its membership, they are still under-represented in the decision-making bodies of the church. The word 'laos' in 1Peter 2:9-10 designates the 'whole people of God' not only a particular part of the people, and we ask the Church to vigorously pursue the ideal of equal representation at all levels.

2.1 Noteworthy achievements of APW in the past two years include:-

• Increasing credibility and respect as an NGO (Non-Government Organisation) both nationally, and internationally through our Special Consultative Status with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
• Increased attendances, almost 400 in total, at Regional Conferences with themes of "Unfolding Wisdom" (2001) and "In Phoebe's Image" (2002).
• Initiatives in Restorative Justice and Peace-Building spear-headed by Bridge builders, a recent outreach of APW
• Recognition by Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) of APW magazine 'Harvest Field', now approaching 100th year of publication.
• Establishment of an APW Website, regularly updated
• Support of SEEP Project in Fiji and 'Las Dignas' in El Salvador, also Victim Support and Youth Mentoring in New Zealand
• Publication of 'A Braided River of Faith', a collection of 100 women's faith stories as part of an ongoing project, along with recording Oral Histories, to ensure women's stories are not lost
• Closer links with women's groups of sister churches in NZ and overseas

3.1 The downward trend in Presbyterian membership and attendance at worship in the past decade has seen a corresponding drop in APW membership, yet the overall achievement of our Association continues at the same high level, particularly our mission outreach at home and abroad. In the two years since last General Assembly APW has raised nationally

$107,500 for Special Combined (with MWF) Mission Projects

$50,000 through Mission Birthday Gift

$20,000 from Used Stamps

$10,800 for bursaries for Turakina Maori Girls' College

$4000+ for Emergency Aid Fund

$3,900 from Conference Thank Offerings

3.2 Additional to that impressive total of $196,000 is the vast unknown amount of money raised by APW Groups for local parish and community needs, the support of missionaries serving with Evangelical Presbyterian Mission Fellowship and other agencies, Presbyterian Support, Hospital Chaplaincy and other worthy causes.

3.3 All this is accomplished alongside a wide variety of caring and practical service given unstintingly wherever a need is perceived. The loyalty and commitment of our members, many of whom are now quite elderly, is undiminished, but in common with the rest of the church, we need to consider what the situation will be in 10 years time if present trends continue.

4.1 Changes in society and in the church over the 40 years since APW was formed have also impacted greatly on our organisation - secularisation of society, increasing numbers of women in the paid work-force, longer/staggered working hours, down-grading of the image of volunteer service, opening of the church courts to women - to name just a few.

4.2 APW is mindful of the need to find new and more meaningful ways to make and maintain contact with women of all ages within the church, e.g. through networking, so that APW can indeed become as was originally envisaged at its inception in 1963, an 'umbrella' group under which all the women of the church belong. The only collective voice addressing General Assembly on behalf of the women of our church is APW, therefore our present lack of knowledge of the concerns and interests of women not affiliated to APW must be addressed.

4.3 As with any organisation, APW's structures must serve its aims and purposes. While the present 3-tier structure of Parish, Presbyterial and National Executive provides an efficient avenue of communication, other features of our structure, which has remained virtually unchanged since 1963, have outlived their usefulness and are currently under review. To help chart a way forward a "Growing into Change" Consultation involving 20 women from a wide range of backgrounds within Presbyterian and Co-operating Ventures was held in May. All present affirmed the value of APW and its many strengths were highlighted, but it was also agreed that it needed to move into the 21st century. Presbyterials, parishes, women's groups and individuals are now being given the opportunity to express their opinions on the changing role of APW.

5.1 A further barrier to APW being an effective voice of all women in the church is the lack of any direct avenue of communication with or representation on the Policy Groups and through them to the Council of Assembly. We believe that the Presbyterian Church ignores the collective wisdom, experience, enthusiasm and commitment of women to its detriment, and Recommendation 1 asks that this situation be redressed.

5.2 As Eldin Villafane, visiting theologian at Assembly 2000 reminded us "God is inviting us, instead of pulling one another down, to 'edify' or build one another up, using and honouring the gifts God has given to each of us".

Marion Brash

National President

Jill Little

National Secretary

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