Global Mission
Here is the latest edition of the Friends of Jagadhri newsletter, with news of the recent visit to India by three members of the PCANZ.
Indian Christians Pressure Government to Extend Equal Rights to All People
Global Mission Coordinator Phil King writes, “In March I will be travelling to India with two members of Somervell Presbyterian Church in Auckland, Heather Laxon and Brian Rowley. We are going to visit the Church of North India, to assess ways in which the PCANZ can increase its support for the CNI, our longstanding partner church in India. Many Christians in India come from among the Dalit people, and suffer many injustices as a result of discrimination against them due to deep-seated attitudes arising from the caste system. This discrimination extends to government level. So the following action being taken by the CNI has particular interest for us at this time.
The CNI recently launched a campaign to pressure the Indian Government to improve human rights for Dalit Christians and Muslims at all levels of society. They have requested that all the diocese, pastorates, congregations, members and institutions of the CNI join their “Million Post Cards” campaign. This is a campaign to send at least one million postcards to the Prime Minister to pressure the Government into action. They plan to send one hundred postcards a day to keep the pressure on. They are also asking that their churches and institutions organise rallies to raise support for their cause from political parties prior to the next elections. Their campaign is a response to continuing discrimination against Dalits, both Christian and Muslim. In a letter outlining the campaign, they said that for more than sixty years, Christians and Muslims have been excluded from Government benefits intended for the social betterment of Dalits; and that this exclusion has been based on religious grounds.
It is challenging to be reminded of the daily struggles for justice being facing by many Christians around the world. More information about the Million Post Cards Campaign can be found on the CNI website, www.cnisynod.org
Our Global Mission Coordinator is Phil King, phil@presbyterian.org.nz
You are invited to like the Global Mission Facebook page - Global Mission Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, or read Phil’s blog, www.globalmissionpcanz.blogspot.co.nz.
Going Global Youth Mission Trip to Myanmar
Global Mission and PYM are working in partnership to offer Going Global 2013. This is an exciting opportunity to visit Myanmar, sharing in a cross-cultural experience with young people from the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar. Participants will need to be aged between 18-30 and available to travel from November 27th – December 13th. For more information about how to apply for this amazing experience, download the application pack.
Training in Mission
Congratulations to Petra Malcolm, who has been accepted as a participant on Council for World Mission’s Training in Mission (TIM) programme for 2013. Petra will join eleven other young adults from around the world on this cross cultural training programme, which begins in February and ends in November. Petra will join the group in India, where they will spend the first five months of the programme. Then in July they will be in New Zealand, taking part in mission studies at Laidlaw College in Auckland, and Te Aka Puaho’s Te Maungarongo Marae in Ohope. They will also spend time in placements with churches around the country. Petra’s home town is Nelson, but she has been living in Wellington for the past few years, where she has been studying at Victoria University and attending St. John’s in the City Presbyterian Church. We wish her well as she takes part in this exciting mission programme.
Petra Malcolm with two local girls in Myanmar
Levy’s return to Vanuatu
Our staff at Talua Theological College in Vanuatu, Roger and Paula Levy, and their children David. Grace and Josh, have returned to Vanuatu after spending the summer visiting New Zealand. Pray for them as they settle back into life and work routines in Talua. They plan to be there for a further two-year term.
Members in Mission
I have updated the website with a new link called members in Mission. If you are a congregation or a member of the PCANZ, and serve in mission that is not directly supported by PCANZ, you are invited to send me your information and we will add it to this site. Click on the Members in Mission link on the sidebar.Check it out, and if you or your congregation have any information that can be added to it, I would be pleased to hear from you. This is slowly being added to by churches around the country, and it would be good to add more.
Events in 2013
I have been making contact with various members of our churches around the country, setting up preaching engagements and visits for this year; as well as connecting with people working in related mission organisations. 2013 promises to be a busy time, and I hope we will see some effective new congregation-led mission partnerships taking effect in India and Vanuatu. Possibilities also exist for exciting new projects elsewhere, so please contact me if you or your congregation has an interest in the work of PCANZ Global Mission.
Experience Opportunities With the Uniting Church in Australia
I recently had a brief visit to the Uniting Church in Australia. There are opportunities to serve in mission with Uniting World, the international mission department of the UCA. Uniting World has 35 international partnerships throughout the Pacific and in Asia, mostly with churches our Church is in partnership with. UnitingWorld aims “to connect communities for life”. Like us, they aim to engage in mission and establish transformative relationships between local church communities and overseas churches, working with justice, compassion and in faith.You can explore the wide range of opportunities available through their Experience Programme here. For more information contact them directly or Global Mission at phil@presbyterian.org.nz. Applications for New Zealanders will be made through Global Mission.
UnitingWorld has also produced some excellent on-line training resources for those wishing to participate in mission, for use by individuals and groups. They have graciously given us access to these resources. Contact phil@presbyterian.org.nz to participate and enrol in a course.
Below are some updates on our three key mission partner countries.
Vanuatu
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has affirmed the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu as our primary mission relationship. Special focuses are:
Talua Ministry Training Centre
Located on Espiritu Santo Island, Talua Ministry Training Centre is a Bible college and theologi cal training centre. It has more than 100 minis try students. With help from CWM, we support staff at Talua. Paula and Roger Levy and family are serving at Talua from January 2010 to December 2011, teaching English and serving as part of the community.
Onesua Presbyterian College
The college has 30 academic staff and 24 auxil iary staff. They have a student population of just under 400, from Year 7 to Year 13. Our Presbyteri an schools in New Zealand have regular exchanges with Onesua.
Levy's Newsletter
A newsletter from Paula and Roger (below), who are based at Talua Bible College in Vanuatu.
Myanmar
Our partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar (PCM) is known as the Ricebowl Mission. Donations to the Ricebowl Fund are helping to make significant improvements to the quality of life of the members of the PCM and their communities. Annual trips to Myanmar enable us to experi ence firsthand the value of being in relationship with one another. It is through the building of friendships that our monetary gifts for proj ects can be put to good use. The next trip to Myanmar is a Going Global programme for young adults, in November/December 2013. For information about Going Global, click here. To express an inter est in being a part of another team visit in the future, and to sign up to the Mingalaba email newsletter, please contact Angela Norton on 021357-708 or moyanmar@ricebowlmission.org.nz
India
Friends of Jagadhri
Jagadhri was the centre chosen by the Presby terian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand almost 100 years ago to reach out in love and com passion to the people of North West India. Friends of Jagadhri was formed in 1986 to help support the Christian outreach of Jagadhri. This currently includes the work of the Christian Hospi tal and the School of Nursing and Church of North India congregations. Friends of Jagadhri support the work with their prayers, their giving and their interest and encourage ment. The Friends of Jagadhri newsletter is published twice annually: contact Doreen Rid dell for a subscription on doreenr@vodafone.co.nz
Partner international organisations
Council for World Mission
CWM is a worldwide community of 31 Reformed denominations working as equals with a common commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Established in 1977, it grew out of the London Mission Society, the Commonwealth (Colonial) Missionary Society and the (English) Presbyterian Board of Missions.
CWM supports Presbyterian Church mission both in New Zealand and overseas.
Christian World Service
CWS is our official emergency aid, justice and development agency
Christian World Service acts to end poverty and injustice throughout the world by:
- Funding groups that tackle poverty and help people build decent livelihoods in their own communities.
- Responding to humanitarian emergencies.
- Raising awareness of development issues within Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Campaigning against the causes of global poverty and injustice.
International ecumenical councils
The Presbyterian Church is also a member of the:
- World Council of Churches
- Pacific Council of Churches
- Christian Conference of Asia
- World Communion of Reformed Churches
How to get involved
We want to affirm every congregation’s involvement in mission, locally and globally, and we recognise that many congregations work with organisations beyond the Presbyterian networks. We want to know about those partnerships too, and to share your stories in Spanz, which now features four extra pages each issue on global mission. Keep an eye on this part of the website for updates about how to get involved in Global Mission.
Please support Global Mission
The Rev. Phil King is our Global Mission Coordinator. Contact him on phil@presbyterian.org.nz or (04) 381-8294 to find out how you can get involved in the mission of the PCANZ. Donations for our overseas projects and partners can be sent to Global Mission at Assembly Office, PO Box 9049, Wellington 6141.