By Gary A M Clover Published by The Copy Press Nelson, 2018 Reviewed by Mary Caygill

This important study of New Zealand Wesleyan Methodist history in the Hokianga is a critical addition to our understanding of the impact made by the Wesleyan Mission in this region. Clover brings to life the story of the establishment of a second Wesleyan station in Northland. Given that the historical emphasis has tended to be focused on the Anglican Church Missionary Society in the Bay of Islands area, this meticulous recounting from a Methodist historical perspective is a welcome redressing of historical emphasis.

Clover’s scholarly book is not for the faint-hearted reader — it’s 523 pages — but it is a rewarding read. It explores the critical dynamics associated with Māori-Pākehā interconnections and relationships of the time, particularly the Wesleyan missionaries’ presentation of the gospel and the subsequent Māori response.

True to the title, Clover mines the depths of available historical material in order to establish something of the dynamics of “collision, compromise and conversion” that resulted from the legacy of this Wesleyan Mission.

I am, like Clover, a committed Methodist seeking to further my own awareness of New Zealand Wesleyan/Methodist history. This book expanded my knowledge of key events, interactions and personalities at play. It offered a valuable perspective on how the “conversion experience” was lived out by Hokianga Māori of that time.

This is a substantive piece of scholarly research which asks deep questions about the transmission of the gospel in this land and the nature of conversion itself in differing cultural interactions.

Tui Motu magazine. Issue 238 June 2019: 31