Download the Minutes of the 2014 General Assembly held at Saint Kentigern College, Pakuranga, Auckland Saturday 4 October – Tuesday 7 October 2014.

While Christmas is often a time of joy for reunited families, for others it is a time of arguments, old grudges and reminders of the differences that separate us.

A recent survey found that the average British family will have at least five arguments on Christmas Day, often over family gossip and grievances. In New Zealand, family conflict leads to increases in domestic violence during the Christmas holiday period.

The summer edition of Spanz magazine explores how churches are opening their kitchens and their hearts to their communities and explores some of the key events and decisions from General Assembly 2014.

The Very Rev Dr Graham Redding has been appointed Master of Knox College, Dunedin. He takes up the role from 12 January, 2015.

For the past eight years Dr Redding has been the Principal of the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, which is the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Dunedin-based training centre for ministers and lay leaders.

Applications are invited for the position of principal of Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, following the resignation of current principal, the Very Rev Dr Graham Redding to take up the position of Master of Knox College. Applications close 5 December.

Christian World Service has launched an appeal to support church and community efforts to stop the spread of the Ebola virus. Churches in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are playing a critical role in countering the virus. Read more and donate.

Due to technical difficulties last Friday we had to delay the update of our website search map. Our website will be down tomorrow Tues from 9am for approx. 30 minutes to an hour while the new five presbyteries search map is installed. We apologise for any inconvenience.

7 October 2014

In celebration of the increasing number of ethnically diverse congregations in its midst, the Presbyterian Church today declared itself to be a cross-cultural Church.

On Tuesday 7 October the Church’s General Assembly agreed unanimously to adopt a new policy statement that declares the Church to be “a cross-cultural and multicultural Church with a bicultural commitment”.

Simon Bilton has been appointed acting chief executive at Presbyterian Support Northern to cover the 12-month secondment of current chief executive, Rod Watt, to the Operations Director for the Children’s Teams role with Chidren's Action Plan.

The Rev Wayne Matheson has been appointed as the national Assembly Executive Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. The role is the equivalent to a General Manager and will be based in the Church’s national office in Wellington.

Wayne will be inducted into the role at a special service at St John’s in the City Presbyterian Church, Wellington, on Tuesday 21 October at 6.30pm.