Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand | |
---|---|
Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand | |
Congregations | 419[1] |
Members | 29,000[2] |
Ministers | 400 |
Official website | presbyterian.org.nz |
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) is a major Christian denomination in
History
The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand formed in October 1901 with the amalgamation of churches in the Synod of Otago and Southland (which had a largely Free Church heritage) with those north of the Waitaki River.[2]
Unlike other major Christian churches, the Presbyterians did not send
In 1862 the Presbytery of Auckland had had support from the Presbyterian Church of Ireland and also applied for support from the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.[5]
In 1906, 23 percent of New Zealanders (203,600) had identified as Presbyterians.[4]
Ethnic diversity grew after World War II with the arrival of
Structure and activities
The Presbyterian Church is governed by a series of courts (councils) at local, regional and national levels. The leader of the church is called a moderator, and is elected by the national court.[6]
In 2006 the denomination claimed 29,000 members in 430 congregations, and 400 ministers.[2] According to the 2013 census a significantly higher 8.5 percent of the New Zealand population, or 330,516 adherents, claimed some form of affiliation with the Presbyterian Church.[7]
International connections
- Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
- Council for World Mission (CWM)
- World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC)
- World Council of Churches (WCC)
Social involvement
The Presbyterian Social Services Association (PSSA) – subsequently known as "Support" – began operating in the early 20th century.[8]
Issues and controversies
Abuse allegations
In October 2022, Presbyterian Support Otago's chief executive Jo O'Neill acknowledged during The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care that at least six historical cases of abuse had occurred at its Glendining Presbyterian Children's Homes in Andersons Bay in Dunedin. O'Neill also testified that records about children housed under PSO's care had been deliberately destroyed by an alleged paedophile ring between 2017 and 2018. O'Neill also apologised to abuse survivors.[9] In response to O'Neill's testimony, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand launched an inquiry into an alleged pedophile ring operating within Dunedin's Presbyterian community.[10] On 5 November, the Presbyterian Church confirmed that it had appointed a King's Counsel to investigate the paedophile ring allegations.[11]
In September 2023, the Otago Daily Times reported that the Presbyterian Church's general assembly moderator Right Rev Hamish Galloway had declined to compensate a sexual abuse survivor known as "Anna" on the grounds that the Presbyterian Support Services Association (PSSA) was a separate organisation from the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. During her childhood, Anna had been raped, drugged, and trafficked among a paedophile ring of PSSA members in Southland, Otago, and Christchurch. Anna has asserted that the two organisations were linked and criticised the Church for its perceived unwllingness to take responsibility for the wrongs committed by its support organisations. Network of Survivors in Faith-based Institutions spokeswoman Liz Tonks criticised the Presbyterian Church's abuse redress process.[12]
Breakaway groups
Several groups have broken away from the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand because of its liberal theology.
In the late 1940s migrants from the Netherlands settling in New Zealand expected to find their spiritual homes in existing churches of Reformed persuasion, particularly the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Instead they found it "less Reformed in doctrine and practice than they had hoped."[13] They felt that the Declaratory Act of 1901 (which said that "diversity of opinion is recognised in this Church on such points in the Confession as do not enter into the substance of the Reformed Faith therein set forth"[14]) had "opened the doors of the Presbyterian Church to various 'winds of doctrine'."[15] As a result, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand were officially established in 1953.
One group under George Mackenzie left in the 1960s and formed the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.[citation needed]
The other breakaway church is Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, which was formed of both a group of pre-existing independent churches, and a number of churches that left the PCANZ after the homosexual controversy of 2003. These united into a new Presbyterian denomination for New Zealand.
Same-sex marriage
In 2003, the Church decided to allow ministers in sexual relationships other than marriage. This was overturned in 2004, and in a meeting of the
See also
References
- ^ a b [1] Archived 22 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d "Presbyterian Church of Aoteroa New Zealand — World Council of Churches". www.oikoumene.org. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ "CAA Monthly" (PDF). Changing Attitude Australia. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Schrader, Ben (1 March 2017). "Presbyterian Church - Church building and missions". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ "Presbytery Of Auckland". Daily Southern Cross. 28 January 1863. p. 4. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Schrader, Ben (1 March 2017). "Presbyterian Church - Church structure and culture". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ Table 28, 2013 Census Data – QuickStats About Culture and Identity – Tables.
- ^
Vine, Gillian (December 2006). "Presbyterian Support Otago marks 100 years". Spanz Magazine. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
At the beginning of the 20th century, life was harsh in Dunedin for those on the margins. [...] The plight of orphaned and neglected children moved a group of deaconesses, headed by Sister Mary McQueen, to open a series of children's homes under the banner of Presbyterian Social Services Association (PSSA), now Support.
- ^ Hudson, Daisy (20 October 2022). "Inquiry told of paedophile ring". The Star. Allied Press. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ Hudson, Daisy (22 October 2022). "Inquiry launched into paedophile ring claims". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ Hudson, Daisy (5 November 2022). "Dunedin church appoints KC to investigate paedophile ring". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ Scott, Tim (1 September 2023). "'I was never safe or felt safe in or around the church'". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ISBN 0-8108-5807-X, p. 329.
- ^ "Declaratory Act (1892-3)". PCANZ. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ Hoeksema, Herman. "The Doctrinal Tensions "Down Under"". Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ Collins, Simon (29 September 2002). "Presbyterian Church votes to exclude gay ministers". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "we are progressive » St Andrew's on The Terrace". standrews.org.nz. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ Ratley, Neil (8 October 2014). "St Andrew's to defy ban on conducting gay weddings". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
Further reading
- Gray, Enid E. (1924). A history of Presbyterianism and the Presbyterian Church in Canterbury (PDF) (Master of Arts). University of Canterbury.
- Redding, Graham (2012). The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ: A Brief History (PDF). Dunedin: Knox Centre for Ministry & Leadership.