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Appendix E-21: Constitution of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod
(Adopted ad interim by the General Assembly, 2002)
1) Name
1.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod is a recognised body within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and is subject to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
2) Membership
2.1) Membership in the Pacific Islanders’ Synod is open to anyone who is:
i) A member of one of the Pacific Island Groups within the Synod (see Clause 4.1) and
ii) A member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
3) Purpose
3.1) To promote worship and Christian nurture among Pacific Islanders.
3.2) To envision, promote, encourage, co-ordinate Christ’s mission in New Zealand and overseas.
3.3) To enhance, articulate and mobilise the Pacific Islanders’ contribution to the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Church’s mission within New Zealand and overseas.
3.4) To use the Pacific Island cultures to convey and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
3.5) To address issues of concern to Pacific Islanders within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and to represent those concerns to all courts and other groups within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
3.6) To receive, discuss and report back on any matter referred to the Pacific Islanders’ Synod by any other court or group within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
3.7) To foster good relationships between the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Churches in the Pacific Islands.
3.8) To provide a forum for Pacific Island people within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand to meet and share matters of common and special concern.
4) Constituent Groups
4.1) The Pacific Islanders' Synod shall recognise and be a means of expression and communication for each of the distinctive Pacific Island groups represented in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. These include:
- Cook Islanders – Uapou Fellowship;
- English Speaking – English Speaking Group;
- Niueans – Fono Motu;
- Samoans – Fono Samoa;
- Tokelauans – Fono Tokelau;
- Tuvaluans – Fono Tuvalu.
4.2) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall encourage each constituent group to develop its own culture in the light of the gospel and its own distinct structure. Each group shall hold at least one major meeting per year.
4.3) Each Pacific Island Group shall have power to establish standing and special committees to consider matters of importance to the Group, to the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and to the whole Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. Each Group’s committees shall report to the Group. Where it is appropriate, each Group’s decisions shall be reported to the Executive Committee of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod for Synod consideration and referral to the appropriate Presbytery or Union District Council Policy Groups of the General Assembly, to the Council of Assembly, or to the General Assembly itself.
4.4) Each Group’s annual meeting shall appoint four representatives from the Group to the Pacific Islanders’ Synod Executive.
4.5) The structure of each cultural Pacific Island Group will be submitted to and endorsed by the Pacific Islanders’ Synod as part of the Synod’s structure and way of functioning.
4.6) Within 18 months of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod’s inauguration, each constituent Pacific Island Group will develop its structure and submit it to the Synod for endorsement. These cultural group structures will then be presented to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand to be recognised as integral structures of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and therefore of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
5) Moderator
5.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod will be chaired by a Moderator. He/she shall be nominated from among the ministers and elders of the Synod by the constituent Island Groups of the Synod and elected by the Synod for a period of two years as decided from time to time by the Synod. (see also 12.11)
5.2) The Moderator shall be nominated by each of the constituent Pacific Island Groups in turn and elected by the Pacific Islanders’ Synod so that in turn each Group supplies the Moderator of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod.
5.3) The Moderator shall represent the Synod on all official occasions. The Moderator and one other Synod member shall represent the Pacific Islanders’ Synod on the Council of Assembly. The Moderator shall join the Clerk of the Synod in making effective liaison with other Church courts and bodies as and when required to do so.
6) Clerk
6.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall appoint a minister or elder to be Clerk of the Synod for a period of not less than one and not more than five years. The Clerk may be re-appointed at the end of his/her term. [see also 12.11]
6.2) The Synod Clerk will be responsible for:
- The orderly working of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod according to its constitution and the rules of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand;
- The calling of Synod meetings and the keeping of its records of meetings;
- The receiving of correspondence and its distribution to the Synod’s constituent Groups, committees, congregations, individuals to whom the matters are most appropriately referred;
- The liaison between the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and the other Church courts and committees, including the General Assembly, Council of Assembly, General Assembly Policy Groups, Presbyteries and Te Aka Puaho, according to the decisions and instructions of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod. In this role the Clerk will join with the Moderator of the Synod.
7) Treasurer
7.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall appoint a Treasurer for not less than one year and not more than three years. The Treasurer may be re-appointed to office at the end of his/her term. (see also 12.11)
7.2) The Treasurer shall:
- Receive all Synod monies, pay all Synod accounts and make disbursements as directed by the Synod and may be required by the General Assembly;
- Keep a proper account of all transactions;
- Prepare and present to the Synod an annual audited statement of accounts after the close of each financial year.
8) Executive Committee
8.1) The Executive Committee shall be responsible for:
- Calling all meetings of the Synod and informing all Groups of those meetings;
- Organising the order of business of the Synod when it meets;
- Communicating with all Presbyteries/Union District Councils, the General Assembly, Council of Assembly and other courts and groups within the Presbyterian Church;
- Reporting to the General Assembly on those matters concerning the Pacific Islanders’ Synod which are of concern to the General Assembly;
- Planning and developing strategies to fulfil the purpose and mission of the Synod;
- Performing such tasks as the Synod may delegate to it or instruct it to perform in the Synod’s name.
8.2) The Executive Committee shall comprise the Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer and up to four representatives elected from each of the Synod’s Pacific Island Groups.
8.3) The Executive Committee shall meet at least three times per year.
9) Meetings
9.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall meet annually and the Synod Executive shall have authority to call such other meetings as will help the Synod to fulfil its purpose and mission in the gospel and in the whole Church.
9.2) To be eligible to vote at any meeting of the Synod a person must be:
i) A member of one of the Pacific Island Groups;
ii) A member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.9.3) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall:
- Receive reports and representations from each of its constituent Pacific Island Groups;
- Receive reports and recommendations from the Synod’s committees;
- Receive, review and revise the Pacific Islanders’ Synod mission strategies and nurturing activities for the fulfilment of its purpose and mission;
- Receive, consider and report back to the General Assembly matters referred to the Synod by the General Assembly;
- Debate and decide matters of concern to Pacific Island congregations, members, families and communities and report these matters to parishes, Presbyteries and to the General Assembly as appropriate;
- Encourage its members to live the Gospel and prosper Christ’s mission in their local and regional settings as individuals, congregations and groups.
9.4) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall be able to invite to its annual meeting one representative Visitor from one of the Pacific Island Churches in the Islands in order to promote the mission and good relationships of the Synod and the Churches in the Pacific Islands. This Visitor shall come from each of the Pacific Island groups in turn.
9.5) The annual meeting of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod will normally be held in various locations where there is a concentration of Pacific Island people, and will normally move from region to region, having regard for the practicalities of holding the Synod’s meeting in each location.
9.6) When it seems appropriate to the Synod on any particular occasion or issue, it will be possible for the members of the Synod to consider the matter in their constituent Groups, then report and vote according to their Groups, so that the Groups’ views are honoured within the Synod. Where appropriate, Synod may report and represent the views of the Groups to the General Assembly for the benefit of the whole Church.
10) Relationship with Other Bodies
10.1) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod, being established to propagate the gospel, nurture the Christian life, and build up the Church of Jesus Christ among Pacific Island people in every situation where they live shall work in close co-operation and collaboration with Presbyteries/Union District Councils, and all other groups within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. Whilst having no power to establish parishes or undertake other roles appropriate to a Presbytery the Synod shall be able to initiate communications with these bodies in order to discuss ways in which the aims and purposes of the Synod might be advanced.
10.2) All members of the Pacific Island Synod will remain members of the Presbytery within which they reside and subject to its oversight and authority. Before taking any action that will impinge upon the life or work of any Pacific Island minister, member or congregation under its oversight a Presbytery shall consult with the Pacific Island Synod Executive.
10.3) When a Presbytery is arranging to visit a parish which has a Pacific Island congregation the Presbytery shall approach the Synod to invite the Synod to appoint a person to that Visitation team.
10.4) Where a Group within the Synod feels that it has a person whom it would wish to see considered as a candidate for Ordained Ministry within the Presbyterian Church it may approach the Synod Executive to have that candidate supported within that person’s own Presbytery structures for such consideration.
10.5) Where the Synod or its Executive believe that a Presbytery should give consideration to the establishment of a Pacific Island ministry or congregation within the bounds of that Presbytery then the Synod Executive may initiate discussions on this matter with the Presbytery concerned.
10.6) In all other matters relating to and impinging upon the life and work of Pacific Island ministers, congregations and members, the Synod Executive may approach a Presbytery to initiate discussions in these matters.
11) Property and Finance
11.1) The titles of all property and improvements belonging to Pacific Islanders’ congregations shall be vested in the Presbyterian Church Property Trustees, or, where applicable, the Synod of Otago and Southland.
11.2) The Pacific Islanders’ Synod shall keep accurate account of all its financial transactions and each year shall have its accounts audited, circulated among its members and sent to the Assembly Executive Secretary.
11.3) Ministers of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod, being ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, may not be signatories to any parish related account, nor transact any business by their signature unless specifically required or appointed to do so by the Pacific Islanders’ Synod or other Church court as its Moderator or Clerk or Treasurer or other appointed official, in accordance with Book of Order Clause 114.
11.4) While the Pacific Islanders’ Synod will pay reasonable and agreed expenses to its Moderator, Clerk and Treasurer, and may pay a modest honorarium to these officers of the Synod, it is not intended that these offices be paid positions.
11.5) The Synod Executive may from time to time employ a person or persons to act in a secretarial or administrative role within the Synod. This person may be, but is not necessarily, the same person who holds the office of Clerk.
12) Amendments
12.1) Amendments to the Pacific Islanders’ Synod constitution can be made, but only through due process.
12.2) Amendments shall be discussed by the Pacific Islanders’ Synod’s constituent Islander Groups. If endorsed by the Groups, the proposed amendments shall be debated by the Pacific Islanders’ Synod. If endorsed by Synod, the proposed amendments shall be submitted to the General Assembly who shall refer the amendments under the Barrier Act to Presbyteries, Te Aka Puaho, the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and Union District Councils before they are enacted by the General Assembly.