The Mission Organization
 

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Prior to 1901 the Presbyterian Church was represented in New Zealand by the (Northern) Presbyterian Church of New Zealand which included the provinces of Canterbury to Northland and the southern based Free Church of Scotland influenced Synod of Otago and Southland. Each of these churches had their own independent Missions Committee supporting their Missionaries in the New Hebrides and among the NZ Chinese.  As a settler church, the Presbyterian work among New Zealand Maori depended upon one or two individual Missionaries who showed an interest in this work.

Foreign Mission Convenor's for the (Northern) Presbyterian Church Missions Committee from 1862 to 1901 were :
 

Rev James Duncan 1862, 1865 to 1871
Rev Thomas Norrie 1863 to 1864
Rev James Patterson  1872 to 1880
Rev James Treadwell 1881 to 1887
Rev Robert Erwin 1888 to 1894
Rev William Grant 1895 to 1901

Foreign Mission Convenors for the Synod of Otago & Southland Mission Committee from 1867 to 1901 were :
 

Rev James Copland 1867 to 1871
Rev James Kirkland  Jan to Jun 1872
Rev William Bannerman Jul 1872 to Nov 1901

The 'Foreign Missions Committee' was created in 1901 when the Southern and   Northern Presbyterian Churches of New Zealand finally joined their Missionary Committees along with their respective Churches.

The Foreign Missions Office of the Presbyterian Church was run by a Missions Secretary who handled the day to day operations while policy decisions were recommended by a Convenor in consultation with the members of an appointed Foreign Missions Committee and approved by the annual Presbyterian Church General Assembly. Salaries and financial matters were handled by the Presbyterian Church General Treasurer under the direction of the Foreign Missions Committee.

Foreign Mission Convenors from 1901 to 1935 were :
 

Rev W Hewitson 1901 to 1922
Rev GH Jupp 1923 to 1928
Rev FB Barton 1929 to Aug 1935
Rev EJ Tipler Sept 1935
Rev JA Thomson Sept to Oct 1935

Foreign Mission Secretary's from 1901 to 1935 were :
 

Mr PL Clark 1907 to 1913
Rev A Don 1914 to 1923
Rev HH Barton  1923 to 1928 
Rev W Mawson 1928 to 1935

In October 1935, under a cost - cutting measure during the depression years, the Foreign Missions Committee joined with Home and Maori Missions to become the 'Missions Committee'. The Superintendent of Home Missions initially took over the added responsibility of the work of the former Foreign Mission Secretary until a Missions Director was appointed in 1939 to oversee this work. 

Mission Committee Convenors from 1936 to 1948 were :
 

Rev JA Thomson 1936
Rev DM Cattanach 1937 to 1939
Rev RF Fish 1940 to 1946
Rev RG McDowall 1947 to 1948

Mission Committee Superintendent from 1936 :
 

Rev G Budd 1936 to 1938

Mission Committee Director from 1939 :
 

Rev DN MacDiarmid 1939 to 1948

In 1948, the responsibility for our overseas missions work was separated off from the Missions Committee with a new 'Overseas Missions Committee' (OMC) being created. 
An Overseas Missions Secretary was appointed, however due to the pressure of an ever increasing workload, he was joined by an Assistant Secretary in July 1959. The Assistant Secretary was given the responsibility for oversight of our Missions in the South Pacific region. Both Secretaries  were at all times responsible to the 'Overseas Missions Committee' who met regularly to review activities.

Overseas Missions Secretary from 1949 to 1967 :
 

Rev JS Murray 1948 to 1967 

Overseas Missions Assistant Secretary from 1949 to 1967 :
 

Rev DE Duncan 1959 to 1967

In 1968 the Secretary's titles werealtered to "Executive Secretary" and "Associate Secretary" respectively.

In November 1971 the title of the 'Overseas Missions Committee' was changed to the 'Committee on Missions Overseas' to better reflect the changing emphasis away from interventionist Mission work overseas to acting in more of a support role to emerging indigenous Christian churches in terms of financial aid and staff support. Our Missionaries became known as 'Overseas Workers'.

Overseas Missions Executive Secretaries from 1968 to 1975 were :
 

Rev JS Murray 1968
Rev DE Duncan  1969 to 1975

Overseas Missions Associate Secretaries from 1968 to 1975 were :
 

Rev DE Duncan 1968
Rev AG Horwell 1969 to 1975

In February 1975 the 'Committee on Mission Overseas' joined with the 'Methodist Church of NZ Overseas Division' to form the 'Interim Joint Board for Mission Overseas' (JIBMO). While both Committees had always liaised closely, the prevalence of ecumenism in indigenous Churches overseas and the regular sharing of  inter-denominational Mission staff made the idea of a joint Missions committee and staffing practical and indeed necessary. It was also an approach that the indigenous Churches overseas expected of us due to their own successful and ongoing efforts in relation to Church union. 
During this interim period, the Presbyterian and Methodist Secretaries continued to oversee their own staff and Mission areas with the Joint Interim Board meeting as a joint Methodist/Presbyterian body to oversee all staff and activities.

Joint Interim Board for Mission Overseas Executive Secretary (Presbyterian) from 1975 to 1978 :

Rev DE Duncan 1975 to 1977

Joint Interim Board For Mission Overseas Associate Secretary (Presbyterian) from 1975 to 1978 :

Rev AG Horwell 1975 to 1977

This interim arrangement was formalised in Nov 1977 with the renaming of the Interim Committee simply as the 'Joint Board For Mission Overseas' (JBMO). By this time responsibility for Mission areas and staff were shared between the two Secretaries regardless of denomination. 

Joint Board For Mission Overseas Joint Secretaries from 1978 to 1984 were :
 

Rev AG Horwell (Presbyterian) 1977 to 1979
Rev DC Evans (Presbyterian) 1979 to 1984
Rev G Tucker (Methodist) 1977 to 1984

In August 1984, the responsibility for overseeing our Overseas Missions work was devolved to the 'Council For Mission and Ecumenical Co-Operation' (COMEC) working through three Joint Secretaries who oversaw five regional units throughout New Zealand, each being given specific areas of responsibility. All activities were co-ordinated by a national committee who were in turn responsible to the Presbyterian General Assembly and the Methodist Church of NZ Conference. COMEC additionally took over the work of the Presbyterian and Methodist Church International Relations and Ecumenical Affairs Committees.
This organisation proved somewhat unwieldy with some regional units later being amalgamated. 

In August 2002, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand again took over sole  responsibility for it's Mission to overseas Churches with the creation of a new 

'Global Mission Office
under the Presbyterian 'Overseas Mission and Partnerships Policy Group' of the Council of Assembly.

Global Missions Office Secretary From Aug 2002 to 2004 :  

Rev AP (Andrew) Bell Aug 2002 to 2004

'Overseas Mission and Partnerships Policy Group' disbanded by the 2004 General Assembly. After adding the International Ecumenical Relations Portfolio, the position is now known as 'Global Mission Enabler'.

Global Mission Enablers from Apr 2005 :

Rev AP (Andrew) Bell Apr 2005 to 31 Jul 2009
Rev Stuart Simpson From 1 Aug 2009

 

Mission Area Organization :

The organization of the Punjab and Canton Villages/South China Mission fields fell under the oversight of regional Mission Councils comprising of most of the Missionaries on the Mission field with an elected President, Secretary, Treasurer and often sub - committees, such as an Education Committee, Medical Committee, Evangelistic Committee etc that reported back to the Mission Council. At all times the Mission Councils were responsible to the NZ Mission Committees. 

Responsibility for the Canton Villages Mission area was largely devolved to the 'Kwantung Synod of the Church of Christ in China' in 1926 with the NZ Church still being responsible for staffing, financial support for its Missionaries, the Kong Chuen Hospital and annual grants to the Church of Christ in China. Our Mission staff left China in 1952 and our Mission was closed. 

Responsibility for the Punjab Mission area was devolved to the 'Ambala Church Council of the United Church of Northern India' (UCNI) in April 1953 with the NZ Church still being responsible for its own staffing, financial support for its Missionaries, property and domestic matters, and annual financial grants to the UCNI. 

The New Hebrides Mission (now Vanuatu) was structured differently due to the isolated nature of the islands and the difficulties of regular communication. The Missionaries were part of a regional Synod represented by each of the Presbyterian Missions operating in the Islands. A Synod was held annually on one of the islands, attended by all Missionaries.  A 'Moderator' of Synod was appointed each year. 
The Australian based 'Maritime Service Board' assisted with arranging Mission supplies for both the Australian and New Zealand Missions and also undertook financial matters on behalf of the NZ Church and the Missionaries themselves.

Responsiblity for the New Hebrides Mission area was devolved to the newly formed Presbyterian Church of New Hebrides Synod in 1948 with the NZ Church still being responsible for its own staffing, financial support for its Missionaries, domestic matters and annual financial grants to the Presb. Church of the New Hebrides.

The Madras Mission was under the control of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland Missions although the NZ Foreign Missions Committee was kept well informed of policy decisions and consulted where and when necessary. Our responsibility to this Mission ceased when our own Punjab Mission opened in 1908.

The Presbyterian Church has also undertaken considerable Mission work in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and in the South Pacific region generally, especially after the Congregational Church joined the PCNZ in the late 1960's. Their Mission focus had been very much in the South Pacific area through their support of the 'Congregational Council For World Mission' (CCWM) who had a strong presence in this area. The PCNZ continued this close association with the work of the CCWM.

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