Overture 11: Welcome Bay Community Church

At St Andrew's Church Te Puke, on 8th June 2004, the Presbytery of Bay of Plenty met and was constituted.

<typohead type="3">Among other things: </typohead>

The Presbytery agreed unanimously to adopt and transmit the following overture to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand appointed to meet in Christchurch at St Andrew´s College on 19th September to 24th September 2004.

Whereas in 1983 nearby Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian parishes in Tauranga founded the Welcome Bay Community Church under the auspices of the Bay of Plenty Joint Regional Committee, with the expectation of the Community Church becoming a Co-operating Venture in due course

And Whereas when the "co-operative venture" collapsed there was some congregational pressure for an "independent church", the local Anglican and Methodist partners withdrew and the Bay of Plenty Presbytery became the sole sponsor and supporter of the Welcome Bay Community Church

And Whereas the present church, never historically denominational, now sought to practice fully the principals of a "community church" and remain under the umbrella of the Bay of Plenty Presbytery as a non denominational Christian fellowship

And Whereas the Welcome Bay Community Church has adopted the "Faith We Affirm Together" and uses the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand as a "general guide" to procedure

And Whereas the Welcome Bay Community Church currently pays the Presbytery levy, is represented on Presbytery by its ordained minister and a lay leader, regularly reports to the Presbytery on its lively progress, has its property titles held by the Church Property Trustees and pays the relevant insurance premiums to our church office

And Whereas the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has long participated in ecumenical parish endeavours in Union Churches and Co-operating Ventures

And Whereas the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is becoming more flexible in response to a changing social scenario as seen for example in a more relaxed definition of church membership

And Whereas the establishment of the category of an "Associate Parish" within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand would be another step forward in a fast changing world to respond appropriately and relevantly to particular local needs and initiatives

And Whereas recent General Assembly pronouncements have encouraged and even empowered local congregational initiatives

And Whereas a teacher in our own School of Ministry has suggested "there needs to be a shift in the church paradigm from a standardized to customised church, from a top down approach to a bottom up approach"

And Whereas the same teacher comments further, "insistence on hierarchical rules and regulations and ways of doing things is not helpful. Tradition for tradition´s sake is not sensitive to the needs of people"

And Whereas the development of an "Associate category" may enable some originally independent churches to benefit from and extend the Gospel through their association with the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

<typohead type="3">It is hereby overtured that: </typohead>

Support the development of a category of "Associate Parish".

Instruct the Council of Assembly to develop policies which give effect to the "Associate Parish" category and further instruct the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group to prepare the necessary Book of Order regulations (in consultation with the Welcome Bay Community Church).

</typolist>

Or that the General Assembly determine otherwise as in its wisdom it shall consider best.

The Presbytery appointed the Rev Tony Hepburn and the Rev Kent Potter to support the overture before the Assembly.

Extracted from the records of the Presbytery by

Phil Aiken
Presbytery Clerk