The Anglican-Methodist Ecumenical Dialogue Group has been in the Bay of Islands in early October, 2022 - making pilgrimage to a number of places of significance relating to our respective missionary beginnings.

We have been in Kerikeri, Kaeo (which marks the place of the first Methodist Mission), Waimate North (the Anglican Mission station), and nearby Mangungu (the Methodist Mission Station).

Anglican co-chair, Bishop Ross Bay, noted, “It has been really good to understand the ways in which these two early Missions worked collaboratively for the sake of the Gospel, rather than seeking to compete over whose church people should join. We pray this spirit of friendship will continue to mark out the ongoing relationship between our two Churches.”

Methodist co-chair, Rev Tony Franklin-Ross, said, “It was great to explore ‘From whence we came’. There are so many common threads, not least through the close relationships of Anglican Samuel Marsden and Wesleyan Samual Leigh, and Maori chief Hongi Hika.”

Though been in the planning for a couple of years, COVID delays meant it has appropriately coincided with the bicentennial of the first Methodist Mission in 1822, founded at Kaeo.

MISSION AND ECUMENICAL BOARD
Director: Rev. Tony Franklin-Ross
Phone: 021-481 816 (Mobile)
E-mail: mm-e@methodist.org.nz www.methodist.org.nz/mahi/mme