Thursday 11 October 2012
At last week’s General Assembly gathering, the Presbyterian Church upheld the historic Christian understanding of marriage as the loving, faithful union of a man and a woman.
“We are being faithful to what we understand Christ is calling us to as a Church,” said Moderator of Presbyterian Church, the Right Rev Ray Coster.
During debate on the matter at General Assembly, Presbyterians urged the country’s legislators not to “alter or confuse the meaning of marriage, which has always been about the union of male and...
7 October 2012
The Rev Andrew Norton of Auckland will be the next leader of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Andrew has been elected Moderator Designate and will take up the role of Moderator in late 2014. The result of the election was announced at General Assembly 2012 in Rotorua on Sunday 7 October.
Andrew is the mission leader of St Columba Presbyterian Church in Botany Downs.
Born in Fairlie, he studied at the University of Otago and the Presbyterian Theological Hall. After completing his training in 1984, he ministered at St Andrews in...
7 October 2012
The Presbyterian Church recognised today its growing number of Korean and other Asian congregations with a decision to adopt a policy statement about becoming a cross-cultural church.
The Church’s decision to adopt a statement embracing cross-culturalism is a continuation of its long history of respecting diversity. The Presbyterian Church has an existing bicultural covenant with its Maori Synod, Te Aka Puaho, and the new policy statement will be expressed within the context of that relationship.
Around 30,000 Korean people currently call New...
7 October 2012
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand joined the call for a living wage today.
At its biennial General Assembly gathering in Rotorua today, a recommendation was passed that encourages its churches and related organisations to work towards payment of a living wage.
“Christians believe that we are all made in the image of God. People and their work have a dignity that makes the labour market substantially different from the purchase of other goods. The price of a person’s labour shouldn’t be determined solely by the market...
7 October 2012
The Church added its voice to the growing number of agencies calling for better outcomes for young Kiwis by endorsing a declaration on vulnerable children.
The plight of vulnerable children in New Zealand was a cause for serious concern at the Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly in Rotorua today, where the Church declared to commit more Church resources to training its leaders to identify children in need. The Church will also be taking active steps to offer greater support to those our churches work with...
6 October 2012
Pacific Island Presbyterians rejoiced today in the Presbyterian Church General Assembly’s overwhelming support to grant presbytery status to the Pacific Islands Synod.
The Synod now has status and powers equivalent to a presbytery, or to Te Aka Puaho the Church’s Maori Synod, and can govern and self-manage its contribution to the life of the Church.
The Church’s Pacific Island congregations will be able to choose whether they will belong to their existing regional presbytery or the new Synod.
The decision was welcomed by the...
6 October 2012
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is calling for the New Zealand Government to establish relocation strategies with the governments of Pacific island nations in danger of disappearing as a result of climate change.
A recommendation for the Church to advocate for climate change refugees was accepted with unanimous support at the Church’s biennial General Assembly in Rotorua today.
The Church’s new Moderator, the Right Rev Ray Coster, says the New Zealand Government needs to recognise the crisis being faced by our small vulnerable...
Thursday 4 October 2012
The Right Rev Ray Coster is the new Moderator or elected leader of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. He begins his two year term from 4 October 2012.
Ray has been minister of St Andrew’s Presbyterian in Mount Maunganui since 1985; prior to that he was the minister of Trinity Presbyterian in Timaru.
He has served the Church in various capacities at local, regional and national levels. He has served on the Council of Assembly (the body that governs the Church between General Assemblies), and has chaired the Press Go Board, which...
1 March 2012
The Presbyterian Church is marking the theme of Children’s Day 2012, “treasure our children”, with events around the country for children and their families.
One of the focuses of celebration will be in Dunedin, where ‘Fun in the Park’ at Nairn St Reserve will include an outdoor family friendly worship service, followed by stalls, food, a bouncy castle, face painting and other fun activities.
“One of the main aims is to provide a fun day out for families that doesn’t cost a lot,” says Jill Kayser, national...
29 February 2012
Members of Presbyterian Church congregations won’t be told off for taking their mobile phones out during sermons this Easter Sunday, 8 April.
In fact, minsters will be encouraging them to make more use of texting as Holy Week 2012 (1 – 8 April) sees the launch of Kiwieaster – a chance to step into Easter week’s dramatic events through first person story telling, delivered free to subscribers mobile phones either by text, facebook or twitter.
The texting initiative, Kiwieaster, is a partnership between the Presbyterian Church of...