The Methodist Alliance Forum 2021 - 2nd & 3rd July 2021, Wesley Rātā Village, Wellington
The third Methodist Alliance Forum was a chance for our members to come together from around Aotearoa New Zealand and meet kanohi ki te kanohi - face to face, to hear about each other’s work and to strengthen relationships across the Methodist Alliance, Ngā Purapara Weteriana.
The Methodist Church President, Vice President, General Secretary, representatives from Trinity College and Mission Resourcing, the CEO from the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services attended, as well as representatives from the Methodist Missions and parishes undertaking social services or community development work. It was good opportunity for our church leaders to hear about the mahi our members undertake as part of Te Hāhi Weteriana around the motu.
Photo from Troy Segrue
The 2021 Forum opened with a pōwhiri at Wesley Rātā Village in Naenae, Wellington, and our theme was Te Tiriti o Waitangi - Kaore mā te waha engari mā te ringa - Don’t tell me, show me which was used by Rev Ruawai Rakena during his presidency in 1975.[1]
Rev Dr Arapera Ngaha & Peter Glensor set the scene with the history of Aotearoa including the doctrine of discovery, and events leading up to 1840 and the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. All treaties, as Bella explained, are an exchange of acknowledgements and promises that implied obligations for both parties. Treaties are made between sovereign nations, signed by mutual agreement, and based on respect and good faith.
Malavai P-Misikei, Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou, and Eugene & Sheree Ryder, spoke about their personal experiences of colonisation. Eugene and Sheree challenged us with questions like, “If we are really committed to the power sharing model of Te Tiriti, how can we make this happen in practice?” We were also encouraged by statements including, “The biggest risk is not taking a risk” and, “We need to move on and stop seeing each other as threats.”
Kathleen spoke of the dawn raids on Pasifika in the 1970s and the disproportionate targeting of Pasifika over-stayers who were invited to Aotearoa as workers, but when they were no longer needed, were told to leave. Kathleen raised the concern about the dawn raids not being taught in schools and the risk that if it is not an acknowledged part of our history, then there is the risk of people believing it did not happen.
Malavai spoke about her shared Samoan and Pakeha heritage and how this influenced how people interacted with her and shaped her life experiences. Malavai spoke about how we need to be immersed in what we are doing and where we want to direct our journey in the future – if you want to go fast you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go together.[2]
These powerful stories prompted others to share their experiences and ask questions such as how do we break down the stigma to access services and how do we work together to get better social cohesion?
The Forum provided many opportunities for people to meet with others who do similar work and discuss things at a deeper level. People considered the difference between cultural competency compared with cultural humility. How can churches be seen as centres of social justice? How do we challenge existing frameworks? How can we ensure an equal distribution of power? How do we educate communities with respect and build collaborations across communities – across Missions, parishes, and communities?
Presentations throughout the Forum were inspiring. Rev Tara Tautari challenged us to both reflect on our past and contemplate our future. How do we face up to the effects of colonisation and journey together in the future? Tara said the Covid pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to change and to speak up and stand up. We have come too far not to go further, so what more can we do? What is discernibly Weteriana – Methodist?
There were other presentations from representatives from Te Taha Māori Property Trust, Lifewise, Puna’Oa Sinoti Samoa Methodist Mission, Siaola Vahefonua Tongan Methodist Mission, Palmerston North Methodist Mission, Christchurch Methodist Mission, Wesley Community Action, Building Stronger Communities Community of Practice, Northcote Takapuna Parish, and our Working Group campaigning to increase benefit and abatement rates. Rev ‘Alopate ‘Uhila, Trinity College Ministry Formation Coordinator and the theological students that attended also gave their reflections of the Forum and what they had learnt.
Our President, Rev Andrew Doubleday, spoke about treaties in the Bible and how Weteriana is bound in a holy covenant to Te Tiriti. John Wesley’s call to social action means we need to work in partnership as Māori and Tauiwi and for the Missions and wider church to work more closely together. Throughout the programme, there were opportunities to talk together informally and to discuss how we can be more effective by working together. People with similar interests met in smaller groups to discuss what we can do more of together and what shared resources do we have to be more effective.
Time was also given to consider how we respond to Te Tiriti within our own organisations and what this means to the work we do? Thanks to everyone who attended the Forum; we have a wealth of information and ideas to draw on for our future direction as the Methodist Alliance.
Anna Pope, Christchurch Methodist Mission Practice Leader, said that the most useful part of the Forum was hearing from and connecting with other staff from around the country. Anna said, “It is always the right time to have conversations about Te Tiriti and what this looks like in practice.” Anna spoke about the Forum being a place where, “We share and gain inspiration from each other, take time, connect, and reflect and learn. I feel like this would contribute to a more unified Mission and greater understanding and visibility about our overall connectedness to the Mission as workers. There is something beautiful that happens when people let down their walls and take time to get out of the day to day grind, to share in an overnight wānanga like this. Connections and relationship are organic and felt by those who are present.”
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz