Media Releases

4 October 2011

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, is to be commended for the prompt action taken in coming to the aid of the tiny island nation Tuvalu, says the Right Rev Peter Cheyne, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

On Monday, the New Zealand Government sent two desalination plants, emergency water containers and officials to Tuvalu, after a state of emergency was declared last week due to an extreme shortage of drinking water.

5 September 2011

The Presbyterian Church today expressed strong concern over the recent ban on Methodist gatherings in Fiji.

The Fiji military imposed the ban this week, which includes a prohibition on all gatherings outside normal Sunday services. 

Any meeting taking place between Monday and Saturday – including prayer groups, choir practice, mid-week holy communion and youth fellowship gatherings – have been banned.

Press Release

Food shortage in North Korea: an appeal for international assistance

31 May, 2011

In March 2011, a United Nations report stated that six million people in the DPRK (North Korea), a quarter of the country’s population, are in urgent need of international food aid. The Korean peninsula has suffered devastating summer floods, and an especially severe winter, which “leaves the country highly vulnerable to a food crisis”.

5 October 2010

The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand will be giving a further $30,000 to those suffering from the effects of the Christchurch quake, taking its donation to $67,000.

3 October 2010

The Rev Ray Coster of Tauranga will be the next leader of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ray has been elected Moderator Designate and will take up the role of Moderator in late 2012. The result of the election was announced at General Assembly 2010 in Christchurch on Sunday 3 October.

Ray is the senior pastor of St Andrew’s Presbyterian in Mount Maunganui.

2 October 2010

Visitors from Korea have gifted $37,000 to the Presbyterian Church for Christchurch earthquake relief.

The Rev Tae-jin Bae, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea (PROK), who is in Christchurch as a guest at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, yesterday brought a US$5000 donation from his Church, and the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) gifted $30,000.

1 October 2010

At its General Assembly, currently being held in Christchurch, the Presbyterian Church urged the Government to implement all of the Law Commission’s recommendations on alcohol law reform, and endorsed the 5+ solution promoted by Alcohol Action NZ.

Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand the Right Rev Peter Cheyne said that, concerned about New Zealand's heavy drinking culture, in late 2009 the Presbyterian Church produced a submission to the Law Commission on New Zealand's liquor laws.

1 October 2010

The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand estimates it has sustained close to $8 million in damage to its Christchurch church properties. 28 of the Presbyterian Church’s Canterbury church properties were damaged in the 4 September earthquake and insurers are working with brokers and the churches to process claims.

Friday 1 October 2010

The Right Rev Peter Cheyne has been installed as the new Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, at a ceremony opening General Assembly 2010 in Christchurch.