(As amended 2000)
Members of the staff are to keep ever before them the aim of Te Aka Puaho – to win the Maori people for Christ, and to bring them into the living and growing Church in full fellowship with their Pakeha brothers and sisters, with the same privileges and responsibilities; the care of souls by pastoral ministration and practical help in ways appropriate to Maori customs; the conducting of services, Sunday Schools, Bible lessons in schools and other youth activities; the fostering of missionary activities and such other activities as shall be for the welfare of the Church.
Every candidate for service under Te Aka Puaho shall, where required, make application on the form provided by Te Aka Puaho, and furnish a medical certificate from an approved medical referee, a certificate of character from the minister of his or her Church, and of fitness for the work from the Session of the congregation with which the applicant is connected.
Candidates accepted by Te Aka Puaho as students for the ministry shall take the course of training as provided for in the Student Regulations and shall abide by those same Regulations. (see also Appendix E-13 and Regulations 182-192)
Te Aka Puaho may employ other approved workers for the staffing of other authorised work in Te Aka Puaho.
Candidates applying to be accepted as students for the ministry shall be required to submit a medical report from an approved medical practitioner before they attend the assessment course provided for in Student Regulations. (see also Appendix E-13: 3.9)
As part of their course of training, students who have not a competent knowledge of the Maori language shall take a special course of study in that language as directed by Te Aka Puaho.
Ministers shall be appointed for a stated term, normally five years, and at least six months before the termination of that period the appointment shall be reviewed by Te Aka Puaho in order to determine whether it shall be extended or not, and, if extended, for what term. The right of Te Aka Puaho to transfer members before the end of the stated term is expressly reserved.
Ministerial members of the staff shall be paid the basic stipend and the appropriate seniority allowance as defined by the General Assembly and they shall be entitled to study leave as provided for in the Ministry Regulations. (see also Appendix E-17: 2.2)
The salaries of all other workers shall be such as the General Assembly shall from time to time approve after receiving reports of Te Komiti Takawaenga o te Haahi, and the Administration and Finance Policy Group.
Unless granted exemption by the General Assembly, every ordained ministerial member of the staff shall join the Beneficiary Fund, and the Manager Financial Services shall deduct from the stipends the necessary personal contributions. Te Aka Puaho shall be responsible to see that the assessments as provided in the Beneficiary Fund regulations are duly paid.
Unless the Assembly determines otherwise, the tenure of appointment of ministerial members of staff shall cease from the date the minister elects to retire: this may be at any time after he/she reaches the age of 60 years, but no later than 31 December in the year in which the minister reaches the age of 65. Te Aka Puaho shall review the appointment of other members of staff when they reach the age of 65 years and determine whether the appointment is to be extended and, if so, for what term.
An annual holiday of five weeks, not more than four weeks to be taken at any one time, shall be granted to each member of staff, the time for which shall be arranged by Te Aka Puaho after consultation with the member concerned. Any other leave granted, except for sickness, shall be without remuneration unless Te Aka Puaho shall determine otherwise. Any unexpected absence from the field shall be reported immediately to Te Aka Puaho office.
Te Aka Puaho shall determine from time to time the rate of board to be paid by assistants living in manses or institutions.
Where transport is necessary for the carrying on of the work, Te Aka Puaho shall decide the classification of car which is adequate for each situation and shall pay a car allowance in accordance with the Assembly scale up to a total annual distance fixed by Te Aka Puaho. (see also Appendix E-17: 6.1)
The records of charges and institutions shall be kept in permanent form and up-to-date, to be handed on to the succeeding members of staff.
The person in charge of each parish or institution shall forward to the Secretary and Clerk of Te Aka Puaho an annual report on the work of the parish or institution not later than the date fixed by Te Aka Puaho. A statement of receipts and expenditure and other returns as set out in the prescribed forms shall be forwarded to the Secretary and Clerk of Te Aka Puaho at the end of each month.
Persons in charge of parishes or institutions shall forward annually to the Secretary and Clerk of Te Aka Puaho, in the form prescribed, such statistical information as shall be required by the Administration and Finance Policy Group in consultation with Te Aka Puaho.
In matters not provided for in these regulations Te Aka Puaho shall be guided by its Constitution (Book of Order, Chapter 6) and the practice of the Church in similar matters.
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand recognises that in some situations men and women can experience a profound sense of God’s call to serve the Church in a Self Supporting Ministry.
This is particularly so in Te Aka Puaho, which also recognises that many, if not all, of those called to serve in this way will already be elders within the Maori community. Their standing (mana) is of particular importance for the effectiveness of their ministry. It is also important for them to receive the type of training which will enable them to fulfil their ministry most effectively. These regulations are laid down for the training and appointment of such people within Te Aka Puaho, who shall be called the Amorangi. (Amorangi means Bearer of Heavenly Tidings and may refer both to the minister and the ministry performed.)
1.1) Because Te Aka Puaho recognizes that an important factor in the selection of persons for the Amorangi is that they are supported by the people and community from which they come, the responsibility for nominating a candidate lies with the parish.
1.2) The responsibility for accepting nominees as candidates, for licensing candidates for the Amorangi and for appointing, ordaining and inducting them lies with Te Aka Puaho.
1.3) The responsibility for determining and overseeing the duration, content and standard of training lies jointly with Te Aka Puaho and the Principal of the School of Ministry and each shall consult with the other in the matter.
2.1) The procedure laid down in the Student Regulations (Appendix E-13) shall be a general, although not determinative, guide for the accepting of nominees.
2.2) Te Aka Puaho Student’s Committee shall interview the nominees, with their spouses where applicable. The nominees shall be required to fill in the usual application forms.
2.3) The Students Committee shall consult with the nominee’s minister, Parish Council/Session, and, where applicable, other leaders in the Maori community in the course of making their assessment.
2.4) A parish in reaching a decision to make a nomination and the Students Committee in considering the recommendation to bring to Te Aka Puaho, shall bear in mind the following factors:
a) The nominee’s Christian character and sense of call;
b) Leadership that the nominee has exhibited in service to the Church and in other spheres;
c) The nominee’s status (mana) within the Maori community;
d) The nominee’s length of communicant membership of the Presbyterian Church;
e) The nominee’s education and ability to benefit from further study;
f) The nominee’s emotional maturity and ability to relate to other people;
g) The nominee’s record of employment;
h) The nominee’s ability in public speaking;
i) The attitude of the nominee’s spouse, where applicable;
j) The nominee’s financial position and commitments.
2.5) The nominee shall attend an Amorangi Assessment Course, and the resulting assessment shall be taken into account in the decision regarding acceptance.
2.6) Te Aka Puaho, after considering the recommendation of its Students Committee and if satisfied with the nominee’s suitability, may accept the nominee as a candidate for training for the Amorangi.
3.1) The length of training shall not be less than one year part-time study under the supervision of a Director of Studies and tutors appointed by Te Aka Puaho, in consultation with the Principal of the School of Ministry. Such a one year course shall constitute a wananga (school of learning). No wananga can be held without the mutual agreement of Te Aka Puaho and the Principal of the School of Ministry. The course shall involve not less than 200 hours of study including work done locally by each candidate and regionally and collectively with other candidates.
3.2) Te Aka Puaho, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Principal of the School of Ministry, shall appoint suitably qualified people to develop the course of study, having regard to the importance of relating the course to the background of Maori traditions, culture and concepts. The course shall include Biblical Studies; Church History (with special emphasis on New Zealand Church History and the development of the Church within Maoridom); Systematic Theology; Pastoral Theology (including the Sacraments) and Practical Training in the field.
3.3) The candidate shall remain under the control of Te Aka Puaho, which shall confer at least twice with the Principal of the School of Ministry and parishes on progress, supplying details of work completed.
3.4) At the completion of the course Te Aka Puaho shall seek the concurrence of the Principal of the School of Ministry to issue a suitable certificate to confirm that the candidate is qualified to serve within Te Aka Puaho as an Amorangi.
3.5) Te Aka Puaho, in consultation with the Principal of the School of Ministry, shall have the authority to terminate any candidacy.
4.1) At the satisfactory completion of training Te Aka Puaho shall license the candidate. Upon appointment to a position as an Amorangi, Te Aka Puaho shall ordain the licentiate to the office of the holy ministry.
5.1) The Amorangi shall be appointed for an initial term of three years, which may be extended by Te Aka Puaho for further periods. The appointment shall be only within the community of residence. In the event of a change of residence to another community the appointment ceases. If, however, the new community applies to Te Aka Puaho for the ministry to be exercised within its midst, Te Aka Puaho may proceed to an appointment.
5.2) If there is a need for such action and circumstances permit, Te Aka Puaho may consider the possibility of transferring an Amorangi to another parish, if that is also the desire of that parish.
5.3) Te Aka Puaho shall reimburse the cost of travel, and the parish shall be responsible for toll calls, postage and stationery.
6.1) Te Aka Puaho, in consultation with the Mission Resource Team and the Principal of the School of Ministry, shall develop suitable courses of continuing education which all Amorangi and their spouses, where applicable, shall be required to attend.
7.1) Should an Amorangi seek to enter the paid ministry, previous experience and training shall be taken into account when the course of additional training is being determined.