Deep in the human heart the fires of justice burn;
With visions of a world renewed through radical concern.
As Christians we are called to set the captives free,
To overthrow the evil powers and end hypocrisy.

This hymn was written by William Wallace, a retired New Zealand Methodist Minister, not the famous Scot who fought for Scottish independence. I think our William Wallace captures the core of Methodism and John Wesley’s radical movement that is grounded in the Weteriana belief in justice and equality for everyone.

This is our task today, to build a world of peace;
A world of justice, freedom, truth, where kindness will increase;
A world from hunger freed, a world where people share,
Where every person is of worth and no-one lives in fear.

Members of the Methodist Alliance are working all over Aotearoa to build a world of peace, of justice, freedom and truth. Many Parishes and Missions operate foodbanks for those that would otherwise go hungry. These foodbanks report an increase in people accessing their services who are “the working poor.” They are working, but their income does not cover the increasing costs of rent, power, etc. The sad reality today is that many people are living on a deficit budget with not enough money coming into cover the basics and so they are faced with difficult decisions of what bills to pay, and what to go without.

If you are unwaged and are surviving on a benefit, the sad reality is that the benefit levels are so very low, that it is unlikely that it will cover all the basics of food, rent, power, and phone.

People living on low incomes are very skilled at making their dollar stretch. And the increasing costs of power, petrol and food is particularly hard during winter. It is a tough choice deciding whether to be warm, to feed yourselves, or be late in your rent payment.

Taking the step of faith, we leave the past behind
And move into the future’s world with open heart and mind.
By grace we work with Christ, as one community,
To bring new hope and fuller life to all humanity.

The Methodist Alliance working group campaigning to increase benefit and abatement rates is working with ActionStation’s Fairer Futures, lobbying MPs and raising public awareness of this issue. Working together we can achieve more. We can dream of a better future with new hope of a life where everyone can thrive.

The Methodist Alliance has shared a discussion paper about living life in its fullness and a greater sharing of wealth to support living incomes for everyone. We hope you find time to discuss this in your Synod and Committee meetings and share your feedback with us.

We have already received some great feedback acknowledging the inequities and the need for a substantial shift in sharing resources. We welcome your feedback in how we can fine tune our suggested decision to Conference. Deep in our human Weteriana hearts, the fires of justice are burning. Our vision of a just and inclusive society in which all people flourish, is a vision we all share, and,

By grace we work with Christ, as one community,
To bring new hope and fuller life to all humanity.

If you would like more information about how you can support the Methodist Alliance, the Methodist Missions, or to join the campaign workgroup, please check out their websites or contact me.

Carol Barron, National Coordinator
Methodist Alliance
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164
Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz