in February this year, Rev Michael Lemanu was stationed to the Lower North Island Synod, as Regional Ministry Enabler. Six months on, he reports on the newly established position and his approach to mission in small town Aotearoa.

Greetings from the beauty of Taranaki. It is an honour to provide an update on some of the work that I have been involved with over the past few months.

The Lower North Island Synod covers a massive geographical area and possesses rich and vibrant expressions of Methodism and the church in several different contexts. The church in recent times, has not always equipped our parishes and regions to be the best expressions of ministry that reflects their context and their story. In the Lower North Island, a strong strategic focus is centred around the theme; So what’s the story?

In Taranaki, we have a unique story to tell. My appointment, which works across nine different parishes, three different Synods and multiple ecumenical partnerships, is an attempt to model a new way of thinking and doing ministry in places where the ‘traditional’ model of ministry is no longer feasible or fitting for the needs of our people.

My role is centred on innovation and creativity, the empowerment of local leaders and the desire to work collaboratively in a way that transcends some of the imaginary boundaries that we have at times created for ourselves in the church.

In order to be creative or try different things, some unchanging values must lay the groundwork. It has been a blessing to spend intentional time building relationships (whakawhanaungatanga) and learning about the different communities of faith that are situated around our maunga. When I say around our maunga, I mean literally as a full drive around Mt Taranaki will see you come across our parishes and church communities!

Collaborating and Building Relationships

As my Superintendent, Rev Nicola Teague Grundy, reiterated to me on my face-to-face visit before making the move, there is indeed life in the church beyond the big cities. In my previous work I knew this to an extent, but to now be living and working such a context, I definitely believe this to be the case. In Taranaki, where Weteriana has a long an interwoven story with the people here, it is crucially important that we find ways to actively engage with the world around us.

We had our first combined regional gathering in mid-June, focused on Matariki, and have worked collaboratively to create a plan that looks at expanding our ministry team and being successful at stationing this year.

As we continue to build relationality, be bold and be connexional in our approach, we are excited to see what this new expression of ministry might look like for our region in the coming years. We hope that our work – including mistakes and successes – helps to suggest to the Connexion that there are other models of ministry that can be explored that still hold true to who we are as Weteriana and what our story entails.

This chapter of our story in Taranaki is still new and unfolding! We invite the rest of the Hāhi to uphold us in prayer and ask any questions as we continue to look to work together, as streams of living water that flow of the mountain that is God. Grace and Peace!