In August, Hon Kris Faafoi, the Minister of Justice, presented a bill to parliament to ban conversion therapy practices in New Zealand. The measures proposed were aimed at ending conversion practices that don’t work, are widely discredited and cause harm to rainbow communities and the wider community.

‘Oku tui ‘a e talekita ‘o e Siaola, Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou ‘oku mahu’inga ke ngāue’aki ‘e hotau kakai ‘a e faingamālie pea mo e ngaahi tokoni ‘oku ‘omai ‘e he pule’anga. ‘I he lolotonga ‘o e fakataputapui ni [lockdown] ‘oku fakapa’anga mai ‘e he pule’anga ‘a e ngaahi tokoni kehekehe ki hotau komuniti pea mo e kakai ‘o e Pasifiki.

Welcome to October

Lesoni; Same 24:1 A nei Jiova ko Vuravura kei na ka kecega sa sinai kina. A vei vanua kei ira era sa tiko kina. Scripture; Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.

I le agaga faafetai tele e faafeiloai atu ai I le paia o le tatou Sinoti, susu o susuga I le Aufaigaluega ma faletua, Taitai ma faletua, tama malolo, faletua malolo, tuaa sinasina, le mamalu o le Sinoti i ona tulaga faalupelupeina seia oo lava i alo ma fanau laiti. E talitonu o loo taufai manuia tutusa i tatou uma i le alofa tausi vaatele o lo tatou Atua.

The Epidemic and the Church – 1918-1919

In the April edition of Touchstone, Jennifer Jeffery, from the Presbyterian Research Centre (Archives) presented a brief history of Presbyterian boys’ colleges. In this second part of the two-part series, she looks at the history of Presbyterian Church girls’ schools in our country.

Christian World Service is pleased to be supporting the ‘Get One Give One’ appeal, initiated by Anglican Missions.

In lockdown, Aotearoa is confined. Yet, in lockdown, any of us can travel.

As winter closes in on Afghanistan’s mountains, Christian World Service is deeply concerned for its people.

NZMWF Convention 16-17 October 2021

Upholding of our membership in prayer throughout the nationwide lockdown has been important for everyone.

Social connection is a fundamental human need. We are hard-wired to be social and interact with each other, to live in families/whānau and communities that interact with each other.

A critical question during lockdown and any state of emergency has been how does the government decide whether a state of emergency exists?

A great display of ecumenism and church unity more than likely went unnoticed by both the church and the mainstream media.

The Nephew (an apprentice electrician) sent me this message that his mate received from his employers. I was gobsmacked.

Barbara Peddie is the Methodist representative on the Interchurch Bioethics Council. In this article she explains the role of the council.

John Shelby Spong: A Champion for Change in the Church

An abundance of Christian leaders and denominations claim to be heaven’s best spokesperson and a representative of the church most approved by God.

We are in a critical time in terms of our health and life in general because of the spread and threat of the Covid pandemic.

Once again, we find ourselves in uncharted waters. Last year, a truncated Conference allowed us to do the basic business of the Church.

Earlier this year, John Minto, former National Organiser of HART (Halt All Racist Tours) and current National Chair of PSNA (Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa) embarked on a national tour to talk about the impact and legacy of the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour. Despite some positive outcomes, he sees parallels of that former South African apartheid regime playing out with the Israeli government.

Georgia Stent recently started working at Weteriana House.

Dr Murray Sheard, Chief Executive Officer of cbm New Zealand, has worked in international development for over 15 years. He reports on an initiative that is changing women’s lives in Nigeria.

When the Prime Minister announced the imminent alert level 4 lockdown on 17 August, Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou, Director of Siaola Vahefonua Tonga Methodist Mission, and her team hit the ground running to create a community food bank hub at the Ellerslie Tongan Methodist Church, Moia Mei-He Eiki.

Dr Richard Davis, Director of the Centre for Faith in Public Life at Wesley House, Cambridge, was baptised at the Waiwhetu Methodist Church (now Waiwhetu Uniting Church) in Lower Hutt, where his parents Arthur and Pam still worship.

Author: Rebecca Macfie Publisher: Wellington Awa Press, 2021. 410 pages.

New Zealand Lay Preachers Association

Takapuna Methodist Church (TMC) has a long history of innovative community development.

Aunty welcomes your queries. No concern is too small, whether it is an opinion, advice or information that you are seeking.