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Thursday 28 September

New Moderator installed in colourful opening service

Presbyterians from all over Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond gathered in Auckland this afternoon for the opening session of the biennial Presbyterian General Assembly.

A powhiri at St Kentigern College began the Assembly. During the Opening Service incoming Moderator the Right Reverend Pamela Tankersley, was formally installed in office for the next two years. A karanga from Millie Te Kaawa, Moderator of Te Aka Puaho (the Maori Synod) called Pamela, her family and representatives of parishes in which she has served. The Very Rev Garry Marquand, Moderator from 2004 to 2006, then passed her the Moderator’s korowai tapu (ceremonial cloak).

In her Assembly address, Pamela drew a parallel between the exiled people of Israel and the situation of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand today. She quoted the prophet Jeremiah, who urged the Israelites to end their lament, settle down, grow in numbers and seek the shalom of Babylon.

"In the past few decades, we Presbyterians have lamented our decline in public influence," she said. "Contemporary society mostly ignores us. We wonder who we are any more.

"Perhaps we are having an identity crisis.

"Or is it the night before the dawn, a prelude to the radical change of being born again?

"Perhaps it is but the growing pains of transition and the emergence of a new mission opportunity.

"We are being sent again. Our mission is as clear as it has ever been – to be Christ-centred and community-facing." The service also included a commemoration for those ministers who had passed away since the last Assembly in 2004.

Local dignitaries, including heads of local churches and overseas guests also attended the service. Visitors to this year’s Assembly include: from the Uniting Church in Australia – Terence Corkin; from the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar – Tuan Bor, Khaing Khain Oo, Khaw Ro Mang, Deng Thuama and Go Khan Suan; from the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu – Kalsakau and Winna Urtalo, George Aki and Rosmary Ova; from Ekelasia Tuvalu – Kitiona Tausi and Simeona Iosia.

Te Aka Puaho - A year of celebration

A powhiri led by Te Aka Puaho supported by members of the Auckland and South Auckland Presbyteries opened the 2006 General A ssembly at St Kentigern College in Pakuranga on Thursday. Called to the Assembly venue by Rev Hariata Haumate, the five hundred members of Assembly were treated to welcome speeches in Maori, Samoan and English by kaumatua Te Whare Turuwhenua and Moderator Rev Ma’afala Koko responded to by Rev Patena Tupe and retiring moderator Garry Marquand.

Presenting the Te Aka Puaho report, Rev Wayne Te Kaawa expanded on events surrounding the fiftieth anniversary of Te Aka Puaho, when the whole church was invited to the marae at Ohope to `touch base with our roots and see how far we’ve come.’ Other celebrations in the year included the 100th anniversary of Turakina College, and the reunion of the descendants of the Very Rev J G Laughton.

Ministry training has taken on a whole new dimension, he said, with the revival of the Wananga Arangi offering theology study to lay people and Maori studies to the wider church. Research, archiving and the development of resources were all under way and nine new ministers would graduate at the end of 2006.

National tasks review

First debate and voting at Assembly took place during the evening’s presentation on the National Tasks Review. Helen Beaumont, convenor of the Focus on the Future Task Group, reported on the ‘urgent focused discussion’ requested by GA 2004 with parishes, presbyteries and other church bodies to develop a national budget acceptable and owned by congregations.

She described the three key questions guiding their assessment of national tasks: whether they were essential, well supported by congregations, and where efficient delivery was possible. For those not meeting these criteria, there were three options – being cut, outsourced, or minimised.

"The Assembly Office had 23 staff five years ago," she said. "Now there are just 10. The service team is stretched, and further reduction would be counter-productive and less effective done elsewhere."

The first recommendation of the Task Review group affirmed the work of the Council of Assembly in focusing the Assembly’s operations on core functions. After a few questions of information or clarification, it was agreed.

The second recommendation required Council to give priority to addressing the effectiveness of presbyteries in their role of supporting congregations in mission, ensuring the strategic use of resources – people, property and funds – within their region. This generated some questions about what was meant by ‘addressing’, given the autonomous status of presbyteries. In response, Helen stressed that it involved working with presbyteries rather than directing them. After brief debate, the motion was carried.

National funding money matters

Money matters, especially expenditure on Assembly Office, were to the fore on the first evening of General Assembly 2006.

They began with a brief but comprehensive summary of national church management. A succinct Council of Assembly report by Kerry Stotter was followed by a review of the Assembly Office budget, covering the significant improvement in its financial position from deficit to surplus in the past two years.

Two overtures from Auckland Presbytery tackled the national finance issue head-on. The first set the total levy for the Assembly Office at no more than 5 percent of any parish’s income and outlined an item-by-item revision of future Assembly budgets, reducing overall annual expenditure by more than $1 million. This was comprehensively defeated. The second proposed to limit Assembly assessment (including the Beneficiary Fund) to no more than 10 percent of a parish’s regular income. After considerable debate, voting was 54 percent in favour but did not reach the 60 percent needed to pass.

The 10 percent target will still be considered by Council of Assembly, however, as a follow-up motion referring it to Council was carried.