Churches and individuals urged to organise submissions on the End of Life Choice Bill

Churches and individuals urged to organise submissions on the End of Life Choice Bill

NZ Christian Network is advising everyone who is concerned about euthanasia being legalised in New Zealand to make sure that they send a submission to the Justice Select Committee. This matter is now very time-sensitive: Submissions to the Select Committee have been extended and close at midnight Tuesday 6 March 2018.

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Unsung Heroes 2017

Unsung Heroes 2017

Shortly after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, in recognition of the contribution of churches in providing hope and comfort as well as material assistance, NZ Christian Network’s board inaugurated a new award, known as the New Zealand Christian Network Unsung Heroes Awards.

The purpose of these awards is to honour the good work of individuals and groups which has gone largely unrecognised, to encourage others, and to give glory to God who inspired and empowered them.

In an age which has forgotten or never knew the significance of Christianity in our history, and which increasingly does not appreciate the importance of God in our country today, we are grateful for the privilege of being able to hold this event at Parliament and celebrate what God is doing in and through the lives of people. We are thankful also this year to Simon O’Connor MP, who hosted the event.

The awards are presented in categories related to New Zealand Christian Network’s key projects – Secularism,  Value of Life, and Missional Living.  This year we were pleased to also make two special awards for Working for Bi-cultural Understanding and Demonstrating a heart for Mission from within the Local Congregation.

This year’s recipients all received a trophy designed by Karen Sewell especially for our Unsung Heroes, a certificate, a copy of their citation and a gift card from Manna and NZ Christian Network.

Special categories for 2017

Bi-Cultural Understanding
Demonstrating a Heart for Mission

Key Focus categories for 2017

Secularism
Value of Life
Missional Living

Special Categories for 2017

Working for Bi-cultural Understanding

Dr Alistair Reese

For many years Alistair has been preoccupied with reconciliation in Aotearoa NZ, with a particular emphasis on Pākehā identity and how we can live in a colonised land. Much of his speaking and writing reflects on Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi as a doorway to reconciliation.

He and his wife Jeannie live near Te Puke in the district of Tapuika/Waitaha on a farm in Paengaroa, Aotearoa New Zealand.  He has postgraduate degrees in Theology, History and Tikanga Māori. His PhD in Public Theology was conferred by the University of Auckland in [2014]. Alistair is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland and his research and speaking interests include post-colonialism, reconciliation and prohetism.  Alistair is involved in local and national efforts to promote reconciliation between Māori and Pākehā and exploring understandings of what an indigenous form of Christianity might look like.

Dr Alistair is a Trustee for the Karuwhā Trust, a registered New Zealand charity that seeks to engage Aotearoa New Zealand in a conversation about identity and history. They do this by facilitating groups to Waitangi. By researching the stories about our shared history and not just the famous stories and running workshops speaking at conferences, hui, seminar or retreat. In asking the question about what this conversation looks like I was struck by Alistair’s response to Mike Hosking cynical view of the Waitangi event as masquerade waiting for trouble or to quote for it to “hit the fan”. I shall read it so that you can hear the heart and the flavour of conversation with Doctor Alistair Reese.

“Discussions both informal and formal were held in Waitangi meeting houses, hotels, marquees and over cups of coffee, fried bread and raw fish. The Constitution, water ownership, the flag, the Treaty itself and the Black Caps’ chances in the World Cup were discussed and debated. People participated in the powhiri at Te Ti Marae, the Dawn Service and the later church service at Te Whare Rūnanga – the nation’s marae on the Treaty grounds. They watched the navy band, the flag being raised and waka being launched. Some bought stuff from the craft markets, Māori bibles from the Bible Society, while others protested in close proximity to those doing bombs off the bridge. Add to this, buskers, Ardijah on the main stage, swimming, sleeping on the beach and political fora against the backdrop of a sparkling Bay of Islands, and a glimpse of our national day can be seen.

“Not a ‘masquerade’, and neither did whatever ‘hit the fan’, but it was a day of significance that provides an opportunity for our nation to commemorate, celebrate and also ponder how the Treaty relationship can be restored. This is a day of conversation that looks back, examines the present, and dreams about the Waitangi aspiration of unity or kotahitanga, spoken of 175 years ago by Lt. Governor Hobson in his famous words: He iwi tahi tātou! We are now one people! Not all the same – no – but all belonging to this land because of the Treaty’s invitation to be here and prosper here, together.”

Dr Reese, we honour you this evening for your service to the Kingdom of God…

Demonstrating a Heart for Mission from within the Local Congregation

Michael Jenkins

Michael Jenkins was brought up in a Christian home, with an awareness of his forebearers missional work, particularly amongst Maori. He became a Christian in his early teens, and was soon teaching the Bible in a local interdenominational Sunday School, and working with ‘at risk’ young Maori in Ponsonby.

For the last 25 years, he has ministered to young people and particularly International students at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Auckland City.

Michael has given free English coaching and keyboard tuition for many years to international students and has found this is a great way to engage with people, many of whom have had little experience of Christianity and eventually want to learn more by joining in Bible Study Groups.

He is a professional music teacher and has given many hours of free music tuition to promising students in organ, piano and keyboard. Every Saturday morning he sets up 20 keyboards he has purchased himself to give free keyboard lessons: these are open to all.

For decades, he held Friday night gospel services for mostly Asian international students, and immigrant families. He and his team of helpers have served those who came, also leading home groups and undertaking pastoral care. Over the years, they have seen many hundreds became Christians. Starbucks, opposite the church, is Michael’s unofficial headquarters where he has met with students helping them with assignments, and other needs.

Michael has played the organ and led Bible studies for a Korean church who meet in the St Pauls building. Michael has a home in Warkworth that is open to students and families, and he has often accommodated needy people in his home in the city. He is a man with a huge heart who has given a lot to generously serve many people over the years.

Please welcome Michael Jenkins…

Beryl Anderson

Beryl was born and grew up in Invercargill. She trained as a nurse and began a career of using this professional expertise alongside a pastoral heart to look after others. Early in her career, she served at the Leprosy Mission Hospital in Vanuatu. She married Doug when she returned to New Zealand and furthered her mission endeavours alongside her husband working with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF). Starting out in Singapore, they trained Christian workers from all over the world, and Beryl used her nursing and pastoral skills.

From there a move to Kuala Lumpur, saw Beryl running the Guest House. She trained as a Samaritan phone counsellor and started helping people in crisis.

On returning to New Zealand, Beryl provided pastoral care and support for families at St Paul’s Trinity Pacific Church in Christchurch, where Doug was the minister.  And later at Knox Presbyterian Church, Lower Hutt. During this time she also:

  • Completed a degree in Women’s Studies and Chinese Studies,
  • Trained and served as a chaplain for the Inter-Church Trade and Industrial Mission
  • Worked as a volunteer for Refugee and Migrant Services
  • Initiated Knox’s free Christmas Dinner for more than 100 people from the community, which has continued every year
  • Wrote and published a book titled ‘Opportunity Knocks’, a compilation of stories of people’s struggles and successes when their lives were shattered by early retirement, restructuring, redundancy, bereavement, or medical misadventure.

In 1994, Beryl and Doug moved to Turkey, where Doug pastored a church. Beryl provided hospitality and support to many including migrants and refugees, she was a member of the Istanbul Women’s Conference, and worked amongst street kids where she was awarded a plaque for her services by the group ‘Friends of Street Children Work in Istanbul’.

Part of the citation on the award reads: “You have been a mother to us and the children. We will always remember you and our time together in Istanbul.” On their return to New Zealand, Beryl and Doug have settled at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt.  Beryl is actively involved in the church’s pastoral care committee and in providing a voice for mission organisations, and leading prayer support for persecuted Christians overseas. She has been co-founder and co-leader of a support group for refugees and migrants, she volunteers at the local Citizens Advice Bureau, helps refugees and migrants to learn driving and obtain their driver licences, is ESOL-trained and helps teach English to refugees.

To quote the people who nominated Beryl:  She is an inspirational role model of 24-7 Christian faith, including worship, witness, words, and action; someone who brings to mind Paul’s statement “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Please join me in welcoming Beryl Anderson to receive this award…

Key Focus Categories for 2016

Secularism

The scriptures are full of small enterprise, Zebedee, Philemon, Lydia, Paul and even our Lord to name a few. Most of the other names including those of the original apostles that are mentioned in the New Testament are those of working people. It is Greek thinking and non-biblical thinking which separated the church as sacred or spiritual, from business and employment as secular or of the flesh.  God is moving to change this and make all of life, business included, the context for the Lord Jesus to be revealed through us.

Denis and Coralie Clark are the Founders and CEO of Business Edge, a unique support business dedicated to empowering business people to become a positive force within their business, community, and nation from a Christian Worldview….!”  The business world for them is a missional opportunity for the Kingdom of God.

The seeds of Business Edge began in 1989 in their experience of a business failure.  In their own business experience, they have both received spiritual support and not received spiritual support.  They have seen both business success, and failure. They know the joys and the grief. They have employed staff, borrowed, done the selling and the producing.  They understand that as business people they exist not just for themselves but they are an integral part of the city and as Christians called to transform it.

In 2003 Denis and Coralie launched Business Edge believing that no one is more strategically positioned in a city or community than Christian believers operating in the marketplace.  Business Edge, their assignment from God, is to see that you are encouraged, strengthened, equipped, and inspired to succeed in your business or work.

The vision statement of Business Edge is

“To be the business group of choice in our city and nation, unlocking all your potential for good and for God.”

Within the church family, Denis and Coralie found others who experienced a loneliness, lack of understanding and frustrations. So they gathered within their church community a business focused small group. They met, prayed, laughed, cried together and built meaningful relationships with folks who dealt with similar situations every day.

After 2 years when the group had become larger in size, they realised they needed to extend this “budding ministry” to more than a small group and more than just one church. Business people of faith all over the city were needing to be part of something that would encourage and recognize the “calling” that God had placed on their lives to be a beacon of light in the city by doing business God’s way.

Business Edge develops relationship groups, social events, business speakers, educational seminars and workshops, a bi-annual conference day with validated overseas speakers, resources like books, DVDs, CD’s, Pastoral contact, direct prayer within the business, email prayer requests and praise points daily etc.

Denis and Coralie are committed members of a local church. They have 3 married, adult children, and 7 grandchildren. I have the privilege of knowing them, I have attended a number of their events. They are just really good people with a heart for the Kingdom of God.

Denis and Coralie, we honour you this evening for faithful pioneering work encouraging Christian business owners in the mission to which God has called them…

Value of Life

Joseph {Iosefo} Fa’afiu

Joseph’s mission in life has many forms, but in its purest form is to make sure others become all they were born to be. Joseph wants to help them dream,  to design what that might look like and to set about doing it. Joseph Fa’afiu is also a Leader and a Storyteller.

Joseph has served the South Auckland community and New Zealand as a nation for over 15 years in a range of areas from free story times in libraries and schools to working with at-risk youth. He is currently a Duffy Books In School role model.

In 2015 Joseph founded HopeWalk a suicide awareness and prevention movement. They are a community action group which gives individuals, families and communities who have been affected by suicide a place to connect with others who have also lost loved ones to suicide.

HopeWalk was also birthed to highlight the existing organisations and agencies that provide suicide prevention, intervention and post-intervention support. Hopewalk organise and lead walks globally in NZ, Australia, USA, Canada and the South Pacific.

Joseph says, “This movement is about giving people a voice which they are told by society they can’t have because its taboo, an unspoken topic and so on. We need to break the shame, stigma and silence around suicide – it starts and ends with us. We need to remember that we are talking about people, not numbers on a piece of paper.” 

In 2017 Joseph was acknowledged for his work by being the runner-up for the Maori/Pacific Ministry of Health Volunteer of the Year 2017 and recipient of a LifeKeepers Award for work in suicide prevention.

Joseph served on the Counties South PoIice Pacific Advisory Unit in 2016 and was also the recipient of a Kiwibank New Zealander of the year local hero medal two years in a row in 2017 and 2018 for his ongoing work in the community. In 2017 Joseph was awarded Sunpix Pacific Community Leader of the year.

Joseph was educated in Glen Innes and Lives in Mangere, South Auckland with his beautiful supportive wife Lydia and 5 sons. Joseph’s favourite quote is from the movie Gladiator “What you do in this life echoes in eternity”.

Joseph, we are privileged to honour you and Lydia in your service and ministry…

Missional Living

Lui & Ane Ponifasio

Lui and Ane Ponifasio: Lui – Pastor, entrepreneur and founder of  Samoa MultiMedia Group and Radio Samoa, Chairman of Pacific2Nations, and the Senior Pastor for LifeChurch in South and West Auckland and internationally West Papua.  Ps Ane – currently the Managing Director for Radio Samoa, Senior Pastor for LifeChurch South, West Auckland and West Papua.

LifeChurch is a flourishing church community, committed to seeing the gospel declared in this nation and internationally. Lui is one of the international leaders of the Pacific to the Nations Movement (P2N). Pacific to the Nations seeks to mobilise the Pacific people into missions from across New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific and beyond. Lui also has a significant leadership role in the Samoan Brethren Churches in New Zealand and Australia.

The genesis of the Pacific2Nations movement began several years before the first meeting was held, as the Holy Spirit started stirring the hearts of several Pacific ministers and leaders in Auckland and the Pacific Islands to mobilise Pacific people for global missions.

The first group of pastors and mission organisation leaders gathered in September 2012 to discuss how they could mobilise Pacific people for world missions. There has been a sense and evidence of sovereign connections taking place to achieve this vision. There was a recognition that Pacific peoples had taken Missions very seriously after they first received the Gospel through European Missionaries. Many went from Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, and travelled west to Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea with the good news.

Many were martyred and died of sickness and disease, but when the news of someone losing their lives reached the country they had been sent from, then in many cases others quickly volunteered to take the place of those that had lost their lives. The Pacific2Nations movement wants to stir this legacy again in the hearts of Pacific Island peoples, especially the younger generation, so that a fresh wave of Pacific people may be sent into the nations of the world. This is principally a Church-centred thrust, but also has tremendous support and input from Missions Interlink and several member organisations that actively support the Pacific2Nations vision.

A wide variety of Churches are already involved, from all spectrums of the body of Christ, including Mainline, Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches. All of them recognize that the time is right to re-engage Polynesians, Micronesians and Melanesians in a new wave of Missions in its various forms. Leader of the Pacific2Nations Movement, Pastor Lui Ponifasio says, “We are not trying to recreate what our forefathers did in the 1800s and early 1900s, but we feel that they have handed over to us a strong legacy and a mandate to fulfil the heart of God by going to the nations, to unreached people groups as they did. This is our time.”

Pacific2Nations held its inaugural conference at the Vodafone Events Centre Auckland, on the 8th and 9th of November 2013. A second event was held in September 2015. Over 3000 people attended both events. In May 2017 Pacific2Nations was held in Sydney Australia. Similar mission events are planned for the USA and the Pacific Islands in 2017 and beyond. P2N500 is an initiative to reach 50 countries with the gospel in 2017. Over 500 missionaries will be sent from over 100 churches in short-term teams with an emphasis to reach unreached people groups.

A supporter of the P2Nation movement writes “I believe ‘The Pacifc2Nations’ is a (movement of people) – whereby ‘people’ can share resources in doing Christian mission together. It is in sharing resources and networking and connection that people can be encouraged to do mission. For the purpose of evangelising and discipling people towards the great commission.”

Lui and Ane, we acknowledge you for your vision and passion to mobilise the Pacific people into missions…

Proposed change to Parliamentary Prayer

Proposed change to Parliamentary Prayer

The following message comes from Rasik Ranchord, Convener Prayer @ Parliament

THE PROPOSED CHANGE TO PARLIAMENTARY PRAYER

The new Speaker of the House Rt. Hon Trevor Mallard has asked Members of Parliament for their Feedback on the new version of the Prayer that is prayed by the Speaker at the opening of Proceedings each Sitting Day.

THE TWO PRAYER VERSIONS

The Former Version

“Almighty God, Humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy Holy Name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The New Version (in English and also in Te Reo)

“Almighty God, We give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on New Zealand. Laying aside all personal interests, we pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility, for the public welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen.”

There are at least two significant omissions

  1. The Queen
  2. Jesus Christ our Lord

ACTION REQUIRED

Please write to the Speaker of the House and send copies to the following:

  1. Speaker of The House: Rt. Hon Trevor Mallard trevor.mallard@parliament.govt.nz
  2. Prime Minister: Rt. Hon Jacinda Ardern jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz
  3. Deputy Prime Minister: Rt. Hon Winston Peters winston.peters@parliament.govt.nz
  4. Leader of the Opposition: Rt. Hon Bill English bill.english@parliament.govt.nz
  5. Your local MP
  6. Other Christian MPs
This matter is very urgent. The Speaker is already using the new version! He has asked MPs for their feedback within a very short time. It is therefore imperative that we respond immediately.

GUIDELINES

  1. Keep it brief
  2. Write in your own words (mass-produced letters have little impact)
  3. Be respectful
  4. Here are some reasons for retaining the Former Version

HISTORICAL

  1. History shapes every Nation: India is shaped by Hinduism; Thailand by Buddhism; Pakistan by Islam; Israel by Judaism. Each country uses its predominant faith in public prayers. NZ has been shaped by Christianity. We celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the coming of the gospel in 2014!
  2. Some of our Statutory (i.e. mandated by Law not just custom) Holidays are Obviously Christian namely Easter and Christmas. Religious Days of no other Religion has been mandated by law in NZ.
  3. Christianity is still the largest faith in NZ. According to the last Census (2013) Almost 45% of the population (almost 2 million) described themselves as Christians.
  4. The former version has been used since 1962, over 50 years ago and some form of Christian prayer has been used since 1854!
  5. Proposed revised prayers have been rejected 3 times in recent Parliamentary History under Speakers Jonathan Hunt, Margaret Wilson and David Carter in 2014.

OTHER REASONS

  • You can add other reasons

DISTRIBUTION

In a democracy numbers count, please circulate this information to:

  1. Your Congregation
  2. Ministers in your own denomination
  3. Ministers’ associations in your area and appeal to them to act immediately.

PRAYER

Please saturate this issue with much prayer. Jesus said Christians are salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). New Zealand has a Christian Heritage which has not only blessed us spiritually but also politically, economically and socially (see Duet 28).

LET US ACT NOW TO STOP FURTHER EROSION OF OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE!

Together for our Nation, Rasik Ranchord Convener Prayer@Parliament

Evangelicals Around the World Celebrate 500-Year Anniversary of the Reformation

Evangelicals Around the World Celebrate 500-Year Anniversary of the Reformation

500 years after Martin Luther asserted the vital importance of Scripture in his famous 95 Theses, which became a watershed moment in the lead up to the Protestant Reformation, evangelical Christians across the world have been re-affirming the Bible’s role in Christian discipleship.

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) recognizes that the Reformation helped churches to re-establish core aspects of faith and personal salvation. In a meeting in Bad Blankenburg, Germany, a few hours’ drive from the home of the reformation, Wittenberg, leaders from all regions issued a statement:

While only some of our churches trace their heritage back to Luther, we are all bound together by the spirit of Reformation that desired to bring the Church back to the essence of its faith: Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia & Sola Fide – Christ alone, Scripture alone, by grace alone & by faith alone.

The message of the reformers is as relevant today as it was five hundred years ago. Therefore, we commit ourselves to prayer, asking God to continue to guide us by His Holy Spirit that through the study of Scripture, we may all be brought together in finding common faith in Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.


Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA, speaks to WEA leaders gathered at the Allianzhaus in Bad Blankenburg, Germany, to commemorate the Reformation anniversary.

The leaders of the WEA Mission Commission have further affirmed this year that, “as we learn from the Reformation movement of the 16th century, the fact is that there is a need to again call the Church to return to Scripture; searching for answers to the key questions of the world today.”

Recognizing this need, the WEA has named Dr. Lloyd and Dahl Estrada from the Philippines as International Facilitators for Bible Engagement to promote increased and meaningful Scripture engagement in churches, beginning with evangelical Christians. This year, the Estradas are facilitating conversations in a number of Asian contexts, so that national church groups, together with like-minded partners, can develop Bible engagement strategies.

Over thirty National Evangelical Alliances in Europe and around the world have used the Reformation anniversary to focus on Scripture engagement and are holding commemoration events this month. Some have also achieved public or legal recognition, such as establishing October 31 as a public holiday for Protestants in Catholic and Orthodox majority countries, or having access for the first time to state universities to represent evangelical beliefs.

Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA, who has been speaking at Reformation celebrations in several countries, including Kosovo, Albania and Germany, commented: “We are thankful to the Reformation, which is an enduring testament to how God powerfully, and in surprising ways, moves in history and through the lives of men and women, who even in immense difficulties faithfully seek to obey His will.“

“As we confront challenges in our day, which may be very different from what the Reformers faced, how can we continue to appropriate, in our lives and in our churches, the valuable lessons of the Reformation?” Bp Tendero asked, and said: “May we continue the legacy the Reformers handed down to us, especially and above all, to do all things for God’s glory alone. Soli Deo Gloria.”

Evangelicals Around the World Celebrate 500-Year Anniversary of the Reformation

WEA Joins its National Member Body in the United States in Condemning White Supremacy

New York, NY – August 19, 2017

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) joins the National Association of Evangelicals, its member body in the United States, in condemning white supremacy and any other form of racism.

“As evangelicals we follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who even gave His own life in order to break down the wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). We pray that the peace that comes from Jesus will reign in communities where diverse ethnicities come together, in the USA and all other countries,” said Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA.

“We also uphold the Biblical teaching that the inherent dignity of everyone is based on the fact that every person is created in the image of God, and that because of what Christ Jesus has done for humanity, we join the Apostle Paul in declaring that there is ‘neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).”

The NAE’s statement reads in full:

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) mourns over the senseless violence that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. We join fellow Christians throughout the nation in praying for the families who lost loved ones and for healing in our country.

In times of national tragedy and crisis, evangelical Christians turn to the Word of God for direction. God created human beings in his image, and thus all people share in divine dignity (Genesis 1:26). No race or ethnicity is greater or more valuable than another. Evangelicals believe that the good news of Jesus Christ has the power to break down racial and ethnic barriers (Ephesians 2:14-18).

Evangelicalism within the United States is a diverse movement, with evangelical beliefs being held by 44 percent of African Americans, 30 percent of Hispanics, 29 percent of whites, and 17 percent of people from other ethnicities. [1] There are also millions of others around the world who hold evangelical beliefs. Evangelicals look forward to the day when believers from “every nation, tribe, people and language” will join as one and celebrate the redeeming work of Jesus Christ together (Revelation 7:9-10).

The NAE condemns white supremacy and all groups, such as the KKK and Neo-Nazis, that champion it. Racism should not only be addressed after tragic events, but regularly in our communities of faith. Churches in the United States can lead the way in combatting attitudes and systems that perpetuate racism.

[1] LifeWay Research conducted this study Sept. 8-21, 2015 through a random digit dial phone survey (50 percent landline, 50 percent cell) of 1,000 Americans. In this study “evangelical” is defined using the NAE LifeWay Research Evangelicals Beliefs Research Definition based on respondent beliefs.

For more information on the NAE, visit nae.net.

WEA Peace, Reconciliation and Social Justice Conference in Chisinau Seeks to Launch Regional Network

WEA Peace, Reconciliation and Social Justice Conference in Chisinau Seeks to Launch Regional Network

WEA Media Release

New York, NY – 12 May 2017

The World Evangelical Alliance’s (WEA) newly launched Peace & Reconciliation Network (PRN) is co-hosting an Eastern European Conference on Peace, Reconciliation and Social Justice in Chisinau, Moldova, on May 17-22, 2017. Focused specifically on the unique context of CIS1 countries, the conference aims to establish a regional network that enables participants from different nations to together address the needs and challenges of their region.

Co-sponsored by Micah Global and INFEMIT Europe, the conference invites Christian leaders from the Baltics, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Central Asia with some 150 participants registered so far. Speakers include Micah Global International Director Sheryl Haw, Dr. Chris Wright (UK), Dr. Peter Kuzmic (Croatia), Dr. Ester Petrenko (Latvia), Dr. Fiodor Raichinez (Ukraine) and Dr. Johannes Reimer, WEA’s Director for Peace & Reconciliation.

“As Christians, we are called to be agents of peace and reconciliation. The Bible is full of stories and instructions where God calls us not only to be reconciled to Himself but also among each other. Jesus saying the peacemakers are blessed and will be called ‘sons of God’ is just one example,” Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA, commented and added: “Conflict is the root cause of so much suffering: poverty, loss of life, forced migration, and more. Lack of education and opportunities due to prolonged conflict situations also robs people of their hope for the future and makes them vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation. Therefore, if we as believers can contribute to restoring peace and help accomplish true and lasting reconciliation, we will also have prevented other suffering as a result.”

Speaking about the specific Eastern European and Central Asian context of the conference, Dr. Johannes Reimer who heads up the preparations states: “The Evangelical Alliance movement and the movements towards unity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the past have only had limited success. The launching of an Eastern European network for Peace and Reconciliation and Social Justice creates a unique opportunity to foster unity and joined action of evangelicals in the region. At the same time the region is facing numerous ethnic post-Soviet-made tensions. Evangelicals in the region and the WEA movement in general are able to contribute to finding creative solutions strengthening both, the Church in particular and society in general.”

The WEA PRN has only recently been relaunched under the leadership of Dr. Reimer who has been working with the WEA as Commissioner for Peace & Reconciliation to Russia/Ukraine since 2014 and brings extensive experience in the field.

At a strategy conference in the Netherlands earlier this year, its five-pronged T-R-A-I-N strategy was affirmed as foundation for rolling out regional, national and local peace networks. TRAIN stands for Teaching of peace and reconciliation processes, Restoration in communities post-conflict, Assisting with resources and personnel, Initiating peace alliances, and Networking for knowledge and resource transfer.

“To bring peace and restoration we need to equip local and national players with new capacities, so that they are able to engage with their community in unrest. TRAIN not only helps to assists actors for peace and restoration but also to initiate alliances where there is no peace initiative existent. It uses resources from the global network to teach and to establish centers to train them,” Dr. Reimer comments.

Commissioner Christine MacMillan, Associate Secretary General for Public Engagement whose portfolio includes the PRN, said: “We as Christians have a Savior depicted and named as the Prince of Peace. Addressing conflict he walks into chaos with gifts of forgiveness, truth and healing. Our Peace & Reconciliation Network is gaining the skills and intention to enter darkness with conversations that explore peace and discover reconciliation.”
> To learn more about WEA’s peace & reconciliation engagement, visit: wea.peaceandreconciliation.net

> To contribute to WEA’s peace & reconciliation work in general or the upcoming Eastern Europe conference in particular with a gift, click here
Picture: Dr. Reimer speaking at a peace & reconciliation conference co-hosted by WEA and its Ukrainian partner “Bearer of Peace” in Kiev, Ukraine earlier this year.

1 CIS stands for Commonwealth of Independent States, the majority of which are former Soviet Republics.