This article was first published in Touchstone in February 2021.
Source: James Barron, 2021
Looking back on the year that was with our 2020 vision, we need to take the time to reflect and consider what is really important to us as individuals, as parishes, as Missions and as a Connexional Church. What we learnt in 2020 about privilege and inequity, about grief and anger, about kindness and humanity, about compassion and respect, about hope and collaboration, about what was really important to us, should shape how we respond.
One of our strengths is our Connexionalism and our ability to pool our resources to respond to meet the emerging needs in our communities. We, as Methodists, have a strong tradition of social justice and 2021 presents us with an ideal opportunity to consider how we should respond. Our 2020 vision will help us to do this.
I agree with the commentators that say we are facing a K shaped recovery from the recession brought on by COVID 19. The K shaped recovery means that different parts of the economy recover at starkly different rates or at different times. The recovery is not uniform across all sectors, industries or people. Households from the higher socio-economic groups may have had their income protected and even seen a rise in the value of their assets, while the working poor have got poorer with job losses and rising rents. Those receiving benefits have also suffered the indignity of seeing the creation of a two tiered benefit system and finding themselves on the lower tier.
I suggest we go into 2021 with a blank slate and instead of doing the things the way we have always done them, how about we use our 2020 vision to evaluate what we are doing. I know some churches where people are burnt out and we need to ask ourselves if we are sacrificing our families and opportunities to develop relationships in our communities because of the activities we have set in stone in our church calendar. If we are courageous enough to focus on doing a few things well, what would those few things be? If we were starting a new church, what would it be doing?
At Conference 2020 President Andrew challenged us “to look into our own hands” and recognise the skills and resources Te Hāhi Weteriana has, and to use these to create a better world. Our Wesleyan tradition marries ‘Word’ and ‘Deed’ and our wider gospel imperative to be the ‘Good News to the Poor.’
Who are the Poor today?
In September 2020 there were 21,415 households on the social housing register.[1] This has increased 53% since last year when there were 13,996 households on the register.[2] And these numbers are just the people who have been acceptedby MSD for public housing. It does not include everyone who is experiencing homelessness like young people who are couch surfing with a variety of friends because it is not safe for them to be at home.
Our Methodist Missions are providing a wide range of responses to the housing crisis and many also work in collaboration with other organisations to meet this seemingly ever increasing need. But perhaps with our 2020 vision, we need to coordinate on a national scale, using our Connexional power and resources. As members of Te Hāhi Weteriana and representatives of Jesus, what can we do on a national scale to address this most pressing need in society?
The housing crisis may seem too big for us to make any significant change but even small incremental changes can lead to substantive changes. And it is a significant change in the life of one person or one family that is housed that has experienced homelessness for months or years.
As a Connexional church we have great advantages and we need to ensure that we use these to ensure that we are doing all the good we can.
We are closely connected with our communities at the flax root level. We know what they need. We have rich resources that we can use to meet these needs.
So I challenge you to use your 2020 vision and consider how we can make a tangible difference in the lives of people 2021? How can you, your Parish, your Synod, the Connexional Committee you serve on, your Mission, bring the Good News to the Poor? What would a better future for your community look like? What is our role in making this come to reality?
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
[1] https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/Community-and-Public-Housing/Follow-our-progress/Quarterly-Reports-2020/Housing-quarterly-report-September-2020.pdf [2] Ibid
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