Thursday 30 September

Challenging sermon opens General Assembly

General Assembly began outdoors with a powhiri, then moved inside for a rousing service of worship.

At the start of the service, the election of the Rev Peter Cheyne as Moderator from 2010 to 2012 was confirmed. The Very Rev Dr Graham Redding passed the ceremonial korowai (feathered cloak) to Peter, surrounded by former Moderators and the Moderator of Te Aka Puaho.

The service was lead by a team from Peter’s church, Calvin Community Church in Gore.

Peter acknowledged the trauma felt recently in Christchurch in the aftermath of the earthquake and spoke of the different ways in which this would be acknowledged during the Assembly, including the taking up of an offering on Sunday that will go to the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal (Mayoral Relief Fund).

His sermon considered the implications of the Great Commission and asked whether we are developing and mentoring others to go out and grow the Church.

“We are to make disciples by going, which means getting off our backsides and out of our comfort zones, taking the initiative to go to people… In other words, as we go through life, in all we do, we are to make disciples.”

Making disciples involves both bringing people to faith and teaching them to obey what Jesus commanded, he said.

“Can you imagine whole churches of people actively learning to obey everything Jesus commanded? They would love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength.”

Peter said our reality often fails to live up to this ideal, with churches full of people who are self-centred or “spiritual babies”.

He asked people to consider how effectively their churches were making real disciples.

“Anyone who would come after Jesus must lay down his/her life. We should say the same to people who want to join our churches.”

Peter ended with a challenge to a Presbyterian Church that he said could be described as being in “terminal decline”.

“What if we committed ourselves to seeing people converted, then coached and then commissioned? Might we see a miracle? Might we experience God’s blessing?”

Download the order of service

Download the text of Peter's sermon

Listen to an audio file of Peter's sermon

Years of service acknowledged

General Assembly presented a gift to Millie Te Kaawa for her many years of service to Te Aka Puaho.

Millie’s term as Moderator of Te Aka Puaho ends in February 2011, and General Assembly Moderator the Right Rev Peter Cheyne acknowledged her significant contribution to the life and mission of Te Aka Puaho and the Church.

“Thank you for your wonderful willingness to serve your people, your church and Jesus Christ. We as an Assembly want to thank you for that dedication.”

In a heart-felt response, Millie said:  “dear leaders of the church, Moderators, former Moderators; I am absolutely humbled.  It’s been my honour and privilege to have walked alongside great people like you. You have enriched my life.”

Millie’s son, the Rev Wayne Te Kaawa will succeed her as the Moderator of Te Aka Puaho.

Big upgrade for Ohope Marae

General Assembly approved a $300,000 grant toward modernisation of Ohope Marae.

The large scale refurbishment, costed at $1.08 million, includes plans to modernise the ablution blocks and install insulation to protect the marae against fire.  The last upgrade of the facilities at Ohope occurred in 1977.

In addition to the $300,000 grant from General Assembly, the remaining $733,000 will be funded from the sale of Te Aka Puaho properties, donations and grants from various external sources.

Cunny Atcheson of the Resource sub-committee spoke in support of the motion, and confirmed that Assembly had reserves available from which the $300,000 grant could be funded.

In his report to Assembly, Te Aka Puaho Moderator Designate, the Rev Wayne Te Kaawa, confirmed the marae as an important institution within the life of the Presbyterian Church, and that the investment would allow the Church to once again use the marae for events like General Assembly.

Te Aka Puaho also asked Assembly to extend its thanks to Association of Presbyterian Women for their support of Turakina Maori Girls College.

AES calls for action on decline

Assembly Executive Secretary the Rev Martin Baker reminded General Assembly of the grim reality of Church decline.

He said that more than 60 people were being lost from the Presbyterian Church every week – and that this had been the case for the past 10 years.

Despite this trend, our congregations have more money than ever, he said.

“Last year we collectively had more than $130 million in cash assets for the first time in our history.”

And congregation collectively received $3 million more than they spent.

Martin was critical of millions spent on foyers, kitchens, office extensions and toilet blocks – by congregations in “unabated decline”.

“What is the role of Christ’s disciples in the face of this reality?”

He called for churches to reverse this trend and face outwards.

“In every situation where people have intentionally engaged in costly discipleship, they have witnessed God richly blessing this work.”

Martin acknowledged that he has faced criticism for emphasising the reality of decline, and said that his emphasis should not be misinterpreted as “growth for growth’s sake”.

But he said it was vital to consider “three icebergs”, each posing a serious problem.

The first represents parishes developing isolationist mindsets that think “what we have is ours”, rather than God’s.

The second concerns denying the urgency of the challenges facing us. “Most of our monocultural congregations have a limited future as viable standalone entities.”

The third is a lack of engagement with other cultural groups. “What does it mean to reach beyond our own cultural group?”

Martin expressed concern that congregations participated in a form of “insanity” when they persisted in doing the same thing over and over again with the belief that the result would be different.

“For outcomes to change, behaviour has to change.”

Listen to an audio file of Martin's address

Assembly calls for action on alcohol laws

General Assembly sent a strong message to the Government that New Zealand’s alcohol laws need to be tightened.

A series of recommendations, stemming from the Presbyterian Church’s submission to the Law Commission on its “Alcohol in our Lives” report, were considered.

Assembly agreed that the Government be urged to implement all the recommendations in the Law Commission’s report.

Speakers supporting the notice of motion, some of whom worked in medicine and public health, pointed out the reality and depth of New Zealand’s alcohol problem and its impact across different age groups. Attention was also drawn to the social and economic cost of alcohol problems paid by society as a whole.

General Assembly endorsed the “5+ solution” being recommended by the lobby group Alcohol Action New Zealand, which proposes raising alcohol prices, raising the purchase age, reducing the accessibility of alcohol, reducing marketing and advertising, and increasing drink-drive counter measures.

Assembly urged the Government to provide increased treatment opportunities for heavy drinkers.

It was also agreed that Assembly convey to the Government that a total ban on the marketing and advertising of alcohol would be more effective than a reduction in these activities.

Presbytery reform endorsed

General Assembly affirmed and extended the decision of GA08 to reform presbyteries.

Council of Assembly Convener the Rev Emma Keown described the reform as “not about doing the same things on a bigger scale, but about re-focussing to be more missional”.

The proposals about presbytery reformation attracted significant debate, with commissioners expressing concerns about the imposition of a deadline, and perceived pressure to change.  In response Emma explained that the deadline was a goal, and that the Council’s presbytery reform recommendations were about supporting presbyteries through the transition.

Assembly also asked that the Presbytery Task Group and Assembly Executive Secretary take an active role in encouraging presbyteries through the transition process.

The discussion on presbytery reform will continue on Friday, when recommendations of the Presbytery Task Group are due to be considered.

Dialogue groups mull multiple issues

As the last order of business on the first day of Assembly, commissioners broke into small groups to discuss several matters that required further study.

Dialogue groups of 15-20 people first considered a proposal by Christchurch Presbytery to allow non-ordained people to become members of parish council. 

If approved, the proposal would allow up to 40 percent of parish council members to be lay people.

In commending the proposal to Assembly, David Troughton of Christchurch Presbytery said that the rule change would allow church members who are not elders  to participate in parish council.  He said that it also provided an avenue to engage young people in parish life.

Dialogue groups also had the opportunity to inform the development of the Church’s strategic vision.  Lisa Wells of the strategic planning task group invited commissioners to comment on a range of matters, including the mission of the Church, how respond to change, resourcing growth and the challenges facing the Church. 

Council of Assembly convener the Rev Emma Keown acknowledged that congregational dissolution was an emotional issue and confirmed that the proposed changes were aimed at developing healthy, growing congregations. 

“How we can objectively, carefully, compassionately and expediently asses the health of a congregation?  That’s what these proposals are aimed at,” she said.

The proposed threshold of 40 adult worshippers attracted many questions of clarification from commissioners and Emma confirmed that the threshold was intended as a trigger to ask hard questions.  She clarified that the proposed rule changes intended to simplify the existing regulations and provide more clear-cut guidelines for congregational review. 

In response to questions, she confirmed that the proposed changes would sit alongside the existing parish and ministry review processes.

The facilitation group is expected to report the views of the dialogue groups back to Assembly on Friday night.