The motion rejecting the Anglican Covenant has just passed unanimously at the Manawa o te Wheke Diocesan Synod, the first Diocese in the province of Aotearoa- New Zealand and Polynesia to do so.
Unanimously! Let's hope this is the first of a series of dioceses in New Zealand and Polynesia to reject the covenant.
Wording: That Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o te Wheke, for the purpose of providing feedback to te Hinota Whanui/General Synod, states it's opposition to the Anglican Covenant for the following reasons:
-After much consideration this Amorangi feels that the Anglican Covenant will threaten the rangatiratanga (self determination) of the Tangata Whenua (local people).
-We believe the Anglican Covenant does not reflect our understanding of being Anglican in these islands.
-We would like this church to focus on the restoration of justice to te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi which tangata whenua signed and currently do not have what they signed for.
I can't help rejoicing, because I believe that the adoption of the covenant will not be a good thing for the Anglican Communion. It's worse than a daft idea, because the covenant was conceived for the purpose of discipline and punishment. The covenant "will threaten the rangatiratanga (self determination) of the Tangata Whenua (local people)," and it "does not reflect our understanding of being Anglican" in the islands, nor in other dioceses and provinces. (My emphases)
UPDATE: From Janet M in Canada:
Thanks for the heads up from NZ on the Anglican Covenant. I have spent 6 weeks in NZ each of the last 3 winters(their summer), so have a little understanding of the church polity there. In NZ there are 3 parallel churches-pakaha (white) Maori, and Polynesian (mostly Samoan ).
The diocese that has just voted no to the covenant is a Maori one in the central part of the north island based out of Rotorua. This is the most densely Maori region of NZ. In Rotorua is the incredibly beautiful Maori church, St Faith, which features a glass etching of Christ wearing a Maori chief's cloak, and appearing to be walking on Lake Rotorua, seen in the background of the window.The Maori are by and large fairly conservative, but they have a very strong self identity. The most internationally famous Maori Anglican is Jenny Te Paa.
Below is a photo of the lovely glass etching of Christ in St Faith's Anglican Church.
Photo by Galen Frysinger.
UPDATE: A more detailed picture of the glass etching of Christ may be found here.
LETS HEAR IT FOR: The rangatiratanga of the Tangata Whenua!
ReplyDeleteNO ANLGICAN COVENANT -- Thanks anyway but it´s not a very appropriate or nice or loving or spiritually healthy document and nobody is pulling the lambswool over anybodies eyes from Los Angeles to MANAWA O TE WHEKE.
Thanks Mimi!
Hooray for the Kiwis and the Maoris!
ReplyDeleteGreat news. The Anglican Covenant is, as the Archbishop of Korea said, a post colonialist document. The folks in the Manawa o te Wheke Diocesan Synod, understand that, as well.
ReplyDeleteGee, if the folks in the so-called "third world" get it, one would think that Lambeth Palace would get the message.
Then again, it's hard to hear when your ears are stuffed with an inflated sense of yourself.
Mimi, it is a good a joyful thing!
ReplyDeleteEliz. If I were in NZ, I would not like to be called "third world"--these are 'indigenous people' not necessarily poor and indigent or undeveloped.
Yippee! Is anyone keeping count (so many down, so many to go)? I wonder what the tipping point is - how many provinces does it take to reject the Covenant before there is no point in anyone voting in favour? Watch and pray, watch and pray...
ReplyDeleteI'm still smiling, but definitely not gloating. That would be wrong.
ReplyDeleteOutside the Church of England, there will be little to none of the, "Let's do it for Rowan," type of thinking.
A little bit of Easter in Lent... good for them.
ReplyDeleteGood for them, indeed, Caminante. The island people recognize colonial attitudes when they see them.
ReplyDeleteGrandmère Mimi
ReplyDeleteI've just put a couple of clarifications here:
http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/maori-vote-against-covenant/5605
as people may not realise actually how significant this is.
Blessings
Bosco
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI just posted this comment on Bosco's blog and I thought I would post it here too. Thanks for the support!
Christopher Douglas-Huriwai
It was a pleasure for me to both be in attendance and speak in support of this motion at Manawa o te Wheke's recent Hui Amorangi. This motion was moved by the Rev. Ngira Simmonds and seconded by the Rev. Beverly Moana Hall-Smith. Those who spoke to it included the Rev. Canon Robert Kereopa and myself. It is worth noting that both the mover of this motion and myself are under the age of 30 (we are 23.) This flies in the face of those who say young people are not concerned with the covenant, let alone the wider church.
At the end of the day, the passing of this motion was about rangatiratanga and the loss of our rangatiratanga if the covenant is accepted. While speaking to the motion all of the speakers spoke of the pain and humiliation the Maori church has felt over the years. From te Pihopa o Aotearoa being denied permission to confirm some 28 Maori Battalion Soldiers in the diocese of Auckland, to the injustices that are still being felt across the church to this day. It was especially special to move this motion in the presence of Lady Doris Vercoe, as her husband, the late Whakahuihui Vercoe was also spoken about during the discussion on this motion.
The korero around the motion was summed up by the bishop of Manawa o te Wheke, the Rt. Rev. Ngarahu Katene when he also spoke in support of this motion. He remarked, "I look around at you all and I see women with collars on, if this covenant was in force before we began ordaining women than none of you would be sitting here, or we would be being punished for having you."
I am sorry to write a novel on your page but I just wanted to give a little bit of background to the motion.
Bosco, thank you for your link, which I urge all of you to read. See. I've made it easy for you to click.
ReplyDeleteChristopher, thanks so much for your comment. I am more than pleased that you left your "novel" here. That the people in your diocese understand the implications of signing the covenant as other dioceses and provinces seem not to, and that young people are involved in the decision-making warms this old heart.
I'm glad you call attention to the words of Bishop Ngarahu Katene on the ordination of women, because we must remember that in England, the issue of women bishops with full jurisdiction in their dioceses is not yet settled. I think of our women bishops, and I realize that the Episcopal Church in the US may have been disciplined for ordaining them had the covenant been in force at the time.
Thanks again for sending your comment. Blessings upon you and the people of your diocese.
With all the New Zealanders are still coping with (many daily after shocks after the big earthquake.) I am so thankful for this vote!!
ReplyDeleteCiss, that's so true. The New Zealanders did the right thing under adverse circumstances. The members of the diocese are a shining light to me.
ReplyDelete