December 2010
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MARCH 2008 DECEMBER 2010 Methodists move to two-year presidency Above: Vice president Sue Spindler serves holy communion to Rev Metuisela Tafuna during the ordination service. By Paul Titus concerns for morality, truth and justice. would receive a full While Conference did focus primarily stipend and housing. s they prepared for Conference on internal matters – how the Church is General secretary Rev 2010, the then incoming organised and run – with the launch of the David Bush presented the presidential team of Rev Desmond Cooper Public Questions Network attention was proposal to Conference. Aand Sue Spindler sought ways to make The co-hosted gathering of the Evangelical and given to the social issues of welfare reform, He explained that the business sessions shorter, more two-year term would give Liberal Networks drew a large number of people interactive, and good humoured. the environment, and overseas aid. including Neville Price (left) and Rev David Poultney. In his morning devotions, Rev Jim the Methodist Church Conference organisers asked boards, more consistent leadership and the Tongan synod’s superintendent Rev Setaita synods and committees to consider whether Stuart also encouraged Church members to follow the Methodist tradition and president more time to come to terms with Kinahoi Veikune. She said that, if there they could reduce the time they took to the role. were to be a sole president, it would be make their reports. Delegates were respond creatively to the challenges society faces and in particular support people Methodist presidents serving a one very important for the members of her encouraged to think of the business year term are at a disadvantage when it synod that the person be ordained. sessions as ‘theology at work’. facing poverty or injustice. comes to dealing with leaders of the other After initial discussions, Conference During the work sessions, which were Two-year presidency mainline denominations in Aotearoa, who was undecided on the issue. It again asked held at the Palmerston North Convention The most notable decision Conference have longer terms. Changing to a two year Centre, they sat at tables rather than in made was to extend the presidential team’s the Council of Conference to reconsider term would also create significant savings the proposal. In light of what they had rows. And a prize was awarded for the term of office from one year to two. as the cost of having a president and vice best and the worst jokes of each day. The Council of Conference brought heard, the Council returned with a proposal president have been steadily increasing in for a lay-ordained presidential team with These innovations seem to have the motion for a two year presidency to recent years. a two-year term of office. worked. The mood of Conference was Conference. In 2009 Conference had While there was support for the positive and progress was made on issues considered a proposal of a two-year term proposal, there was concern it would undo Conference accepted this model. The the Church has wrestled with for years. and rejected it. In doing so it asked the the tradition the Methodist Church of NZ presidential team selected in 2011 will With less time required for reporting, Council of Conference to do more work has established that the presidential team begin their two-year term in 2012. evenings were given over to guest speakers on the model, and present it again this should be a lay-ordained partnership. “This will potentially make a rather than business. Each of the speakers, year. Some opponents of a two-year significant difference to the church,” David Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples, The new proposal called for a single presidency argued that it would be very Bush says. “It will give the president and Muslim imam Mohammad Amir, and president (with no vice president) who difficult for most lay people to take time vice president the ability to build a theme journalist Rosemary McLeod brought a would serve for a year as president elect, away from their jobs or businesses to serve and address particular issues. It will enable unique perspective. Nevertheless, they all two years as president, and a year as past the Church. (See Eric Laurenson’s letter them to make contact with more people shared the message that people of different president. The position would be open to to the editor in this publication). in the Church. faiths, and no particular faith, share lay and ordained people, and he or she Another point of view came from See Page 3 2 TOUCHSTONE • DECEMBER 2010 NEWS Churches, Workplace Support leap to aid Pike River families By Maree Sherry The people that work for us come from community people, as opposed to family part of a wider community that supports In the wake of the Pike River Coal ecumenical backgrounds around different who are allowed into the Red Cross and cares for us, and that the God in all mine disaster the Greymouth Uniting denominations. Our team is employed to Centre,” Lyn Heine says. of us is alongside.” Church and other ecumenical groups serve as chaplains to the mission,” he says. “It’s at the Salvation Army Hall, and Greymouth Uniting Church retired moved quickly to support the employees While Workplace Support employs a it’s being run by people from all the minister Rev Graeme Pratley says the and the families of the 29 men trapped number of part-time chaplains on the West churches. The Anglican and Catholic parish offered support on a number of underground. Coast, it sent others to Greymouth to Churches are open for people to go in and levels, including prayers. The Interchurch Trade and Industry provide additional help. light candles through the day. We’re having “Parishioners have been co-opted to Mission (which trades as Workplace “Our team on the West Coast is nightly prayer vigils at the Holy Trinity Support) provided around the clock support providing assistance for the staff of Pike Anglican. They are being run by all the be part of food preparation teams in town. for Pike River employees and their River. We’re running a 24/7 operation up church leaders and are open to everybody.” They’re doing that to support the families. families, alongside various church at the mine and we’ve got various staff Food contributions have been pouring People from overseas are being organisations. doing rostered shifts up there so there is into the Red Cross Centre, while goods, accommodated in town,” says Graeme. Lyn Heine works part-time for always someone at the mine assisting and services and accommodation had been Graeme says there is a lot of anxiety Workplace Support and is a member of talking to the people up there. The rest are provided for out-of-town family members. within the community, and the effect is the Greymouth Uniting Church. She says in the community, touching base as and Lyn has been dealing with the miners’ cumulative even on people who weren’t Workplace Support staff were called in when required,” Brent said when family members herself and says they’re directly affected. early to provide support following the interviewed shortly after the explosion. getting plenty of support. “People are very thankful. They’re explosion in the mine on November 19 “It’s a fantastic service that our “I think the families are coping supporting each other and the community that trapped the miners and contractors. chaplains do. The crisis at the moment is remarkably well. There are grumblings has pulled together. It’s like a big family.” Workplace Support staff were at the no different to a normal early intervention but to a large extent they have pulled Methodist Church president Rev mine site around the clock, attended to scenario, although what happens down the together. As a West Coast community Desmond Cooper and vice president Sue Pike River employees in Greymouth, and track might change things. Our people are we’re not unfamiliar with the risks of a Spindler sent a message that their love and maintained contact with other workplaces offering marvellous support and dedication. tragedy happening,” she says. prayers surrounded the miners, their connected to the mine in some way within They are working all hours to “(Mining) is the sort of environment the small community. accommodate the needs of the people in and workplace that we live with here. It’s families, and the West Coast communities Workplace Support chief executive the workplace, which is fantastic – it’s a not a forgiving environment like that a lot affected by the accident. Brent Andrews, of Christchurch, says part gift of service.” of people live and work in. In my own “We are very conscious of the pastoral of the organisation’s job is to provide early Members of the Greymouth Uniting living memory as a child there was the needs of these communities at this very intervention support within the workplace Church worked with the community to Strongman Mine disaster and then Cave difficult time. We are upholding those for client companies, including Pike River. provide support where it was needed. Creek. We know it as a reality. within our church, who are extending “We’re a mission within the workplace. “There’s a drop-in centre for “It certainly helps to know that we’re pastoral care to those affected,” they said. Methodist submission on ‘seabed and foreshore’ repeal The Methodist Church has sent a submission on the Betsan says a compelling ethical question is how our Betsan says a robust Treaty framework would make Coastal Marine Takutai Moana Bill.