Good News FromTangata Whenua

Image by Phil_NZ via Flickr

Bosco Peters in New Zealand has alerted many of us throughout the world of developments by the second Episcopal Unit (cf. diocese) in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia Today, regarding the disastrous proposal called the ‘Anglican Covenant.

The full reference is here http://bit.ly/ijPwuF.

There are comments that are concise and crystal clear and many that sum up my own initial reaction on hearing about the dreadful proposal last year.

Te Tairawhiti wishes to express the following:
■We have carefully considered the text of The Anglican Communion Covenant, and what we know of the context in which it was proposed;
■In terms of our shared Mihingare and Anglican heritage, our call to communion, and our call to ministry and mission, the Covenant offers us nothing new or more compelling than the Spiritual Covenant that we already have with each other through faith in Jesus Christ;
■We see that Section Four of The Anglican Communion Covenant propose measures of compliance and discipline – including “relational consequences” and being declared “incompatible with the Covenant” – that go against our Gospel imperative to “love one another” (John 13:34-35).
We note that our sister Amorangi, Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o Te Wheke, has stated its opposition to The Anglican Communion Covenant because:
■It is a threat to the rangatiratanga of the Tangata Whenua;
■It does not reflect our understanding of being Anglican in these Islands; and
■We should instead focus on the restoration of justice for Tangata Whenua under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We agree with Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o Te Wheke, and choose here to stand in solidarity with them.
For the reasons expressed above, Te Hui Amorangi o Te Tairawhiti states that it is opposed to the adoption of The Anglican Communion Covenant.
MOVED: Rev Don Tamihere SECONDED: Rev Connie Tuheke-Ferris
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY WITH ACCLAMATION