September 2003

Forum to Chart New Path for NZ Ecumenism A discussion on the future of the ecumenical movement in New Zealand will be the focus the annual forum of the Conference of Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand (CCANZ) in Christchurch September 26-28.
CCANZ general secretary Michael Earle hopes a new road map for the future will result, and he wants Forum delegates to be “open to the God of surprises”. read more

Art Happens Off the Street Pottery, plays, painting and poetry plus discussion and debate – it’s all on at Wesley Broadway’s Arts & Theology Centre in Palmerston North.
Called ‘Off the Street’, the Arts & Theology Centre began life in October 2001. Among the founders were Merv Hancock and Miriel and Tony Fisher.
Merv says the group believed it was time for the church community to demonstrate the fundamental link between creativity and spirituality. read more

Hawkes Bay-Manawatu District encompasses diversity From Gisborne in the northeast to Foxton in the southwest, the Manawatu-Hawkes Bay District encompasses a wide area and a wide variety of Methodist and Uniting parishes.
They range from Wesley Broadway in Palmerston North, home to a large urban congregation and the Methodist Social Service Centre, to small rural parishes searching for ways to keep their ministry alive in changing times. read more

Tongan parish seeks to reconcile after high court decision Thanksgiving and reconciliation were the first concerns of Methodist Church leaders after the Auckland High Court rejected a bid by a breakaway section of a Tongan congregation to take control of Otahuhu Methodist Church.
The case arose when the Tongan congregation split in 2000 over the 1997 decision of the Methodist Church to welcome into full connexion a person known to be homosexual. read more

Should the Church Bless Same-Sex Relationships? In recent months the issue of same-sex marriage has become a talking point around the world. Some governments have legalised such unions but Pope John Paul II and President George Bush have stated strong opposition to the concept.
Here in New Zealand a pending private members bill in Parliament would recognise same-sex marriage. The Civil Union Bill holds that married couples gain numerous legal rights and responsibilities, and gay and lesbian couples face discrimination because they cannot share these rights. read more

Intervention Raises New Questions for the Solomon Islands As the Intervention Force works to restore order to the troubled Solomon Islands, local people are questioning the nature of the intervention and whether it will address the problems facing the nation. Christian World Service national director Jill Hawkey was meeting with CWS partner groups in the Solomons when the soldiers arrived. read more