PASIFIKA MISIONARE - Rev Don Ikitoelagi
Btheol(hons); Mth; LEADRS mediator, Dip in Ministry.
A gathering of young leaders from Pacific and/or multicultural congregations happened at the office of the Pasifika Misionare last friday. (18th August 2012).
We gathered to share in some way our journey that God has started us on, from our own congregation to that of our neighboring churches.
Reflection as a guide to our calling: [John 10: 16 clearly helped us to recognize the calling of our Lord Jesus. It appears clear from the statements of Jesus; that after stating his desire to know his sheep as intimately as he knows his Father, he stated categorically that all of the sheep in other
sheep pens also belonged to Him. When they do come to him, and when they recognize his voice, they will listen to
Him the
one shepherd in the one flock.
Recognizing the call of Jesus not that we are to preach
uniformity, but
unity in our diversity. He clearly did not wish for all humanity to be gathered in the one sheep fold, but to be drawn from the different sheep fold that we were placed or even born into, bringing whatever our gifts we have from the rich array of cultures that we have been embraced by,
women, men, children, youth, young adults, elderly, our ethnicity, our theological streams and paradigm realm we find ourselves in. These appear to be the different sheep folds that our Lord recognizes, and in his desire to make us his one flock, calls us to come as we are, and be gathered under the cross. We come as leaders from each of these marked sheep pen, in our calling to gather and encourage all to belong to Jesus flock.]
Mose, John, Meauli, Gary, Asora, Fania, Tani, Ere, Helena, and Don shared with great passion God's call on our lives. We received apologies from Nathan and Philip who sadly7 were needing to be with their grieving families in the loss of a loved one.(bless you both and your families in this time of grief). Apologies also from Makesi, Thomas, Vine, and Mary/Iloa from Newton Samoa.
In paving a path ahead in any organization, there need to be self analyses of where we have been and what we have done to achieve desire outcomes of the goals we set ourselves. (language that we are all accustomed with which merely names processes that have occurred in bringing us here.)
Youth ministry as shared by members of the group has definite highs and some lows in so far as working within the current systems within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ.
Decision making in a congregation lies heavily on office holders who are right to consider keeping the status quot as stewardship, and good stewardship is ensuring that the rules and regulations of the Church need to be maintained at all cost. Often this approach restricts innovation, because the question always starts with "if its not in the regulations, then we cannot approve it"
There is some truth in what these people are saying, except rules made many years before had variables they were addressing quite different to those we find today. All in all, the group shared how many times they wished that they had leaders that could share the vision of the young of the Church. New expressions have been tolerated, and over time some have been accepted. Traditional expressions of faith have however been greatly supported at all levels of Pacific congregations, in the Autalavou, Kautalavou, Mapu, Niue National youth and English Speaking.
Mose (Samoan)shared his involvement with the his local church by taking the youth ministry to a calling to faith of young people of today. They emphasized the service ministries to the needy, and the poor. They took worship and sharing the Word of God seriously, and this has lead to their programs of seeking and evangelizing, with every opportunity they were inviting people to the alter-call. Many have come forward and received God's blessing by themselves becoming evangelists. Both Mose and his wife are involved in ministry among the youth and the young people of the church and community. Music has played a part in this ministry, just as important as the teaching of the Word of God to the inquirers. Mose has completed his foundational studies and is commencing a journey as a candidate for ordained ministry joining some exciting leaders already in internship.
John (Samoan)spoke with passion on the work of his Congregation the English Speaking Group. They have taken the practical ministry model to be the vehicle by which they serve God. They have ministered amongst the homeless in Auckland, they have shared the Word of God in China when they had a group traveling beyond our shore to take the story of Jesus to others. They are currently planning a mission trip to Africa, again speaking at gatherings, worshiping with the locals, and again sharing the Word of God in Jesus Christ.
John had also shared a journey that some of the young people at the time started to attend a church offering a slightly different expression while still committed to their PIC church. A spiritual realization of the need for him to once again be involved in the very Church that have nurtured so many current leaders of the church. His journey has started from supporting youth ministry to being in charge of the Sunday School department of the church. He is also a key leader in the English Speaking Group of the Church that has sought ways within the life of the Church that provide an alternative expression of the love of Christ.
Meauli (Samoan) shared about his journey as one of not fitting in to traditional expectations of youth and young people. He spoke his mind, and felt strongly that having a young voice needed to be heard, and accountability as well as transparency needed to be practiced within the respective courts of the church. He found his lone voice respectfully sidelined which gave him time out wondering what to do with the passion that God has placed in his heart. He returned and is excited with the added responsibilities of offering leadership and bringing God's word to the young people of the Church of Tamaki PIC.Gary I know has extended his ministries to outside the PIC circles, as he will be a special speaker in the next Council of the biggest council of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ the Northern Presbytery on matters relating to youth and young people. Meaulis working life has been with social work agencies ministering to young people who have difficulties coping in socierty.
Gary(Samoan) spoke of his calling into ordained ministry and how his training both academic and ministry helped fashion his sense of call and set some clear direction for his future ministries.He shared of his passion to minister both to the Traditional as well as those seeking for fresh expressions. Like those who have experienced inter-generational issues, Gary grew up of a church that holds strongly to its christian heritage interwoven with Pacific tradition, culture and Congregational Church culture. A great building blocks for building the church, except it does need as reported by Gary keep checking that the approaches are relevant for newcomers. Gary is completing his internship at the end of this year, and is excited in awaiting the call into parish ministry.
Tani (Tongan) shared her journey as one with mixed blessings. She found her entering into the Presbyterian Church in Green Lane a liberating experience. She comes from a very traditional Tongan background with Methodism mixed with Tongan culture and hierarchy (commoners/royalty), which has predetermined the role of men and women. Tani found her life being nurtured by the NZ society struggling with the strong male leadership in the Church and Tongan community. Given the new home and amongst Palagi in the Green Lane Presbyterian Community, she started to imagine what it would be like accepting such a call into leadership. She then worked with the whole church and became one of the elders of the church. At a point in the life of the congregation, they recognized the growing number of Tongan and mainly the elderly who understand very little English, therefore obtaining approval for a Tongan language service be led by Tani and some of the elders of the community. The recognition of her calling to ordained ministry was by the whole church, and duly supported by the Tongan communities. The gender struggles will continue, however her support from colleagues and from the church at large will see her as a minister of the PCANZ. Tani is in her first year of internship, and currently serving this out at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church (the First Presbyterian Church in Auckland). Her passion to serve God is as strong as her passion to encourage and empower young people to be more involved in God's Church.
Fania, (Niuean) spoke of his calling to ordained ministry as something that was nurtured in the Knox Parnell Church His involvement with youth ministries started when he was in Niue, and it continued when he attended the Newton PIC Church. Fania begun his ministry by accepting the call to eldership. After he was ornained as an elder with Special responsibility on youth ministry, worked with the Parish Minister on developing his sense of call into ordained ministry as LOM (local ordained minister) He did take a greater part of his local ministry with being involved in total ministry. His passion however has been with the young people of the parish, and with the Niue Fono Motu and given his training now as a LOM candidate, he will continue to keep his interest in the work of this group. Fania in his past life was involved with the correction department assisting with the care and transportation of youth at risk. No doubt he would have gained some experiences in working with such young offenders. Our church ministry is not without youth at risk among our families.
Helena is a Pastor's kid (PK) who happen to have two parents in ministry roles for the church. Her life has been involved with ministry among unday school, youth and now a leaders in the Niue Fono Motu National Youth Committee. She fiound this ministry offering her the time to work with other leaders to support local parish leaders. They do run worshops, camps and other youth outings, however these are run specifically in support of Parish youth leaders.
Helena is completing her undergratuate studies this year, that may allow her to pick up a paper or two in theology so that it could help her in what she consider exciting minietry with the church.Helena is currently involved with the PI Synod executive as representatives from the Niue youth. She is also a member of the Komiti Moana Nui the national body that manages our membership with the Pacific Council of Churches(PCC). She believe in spending some of her time in responding to the grace of God by the service she offers towards youth ministries.
The Rev Asora Amosa and Rev Ere Talagi-Ikitoelagi both spoke with passion about the ministries among the youth and young people. Ere spoke of the need for ministries among the youth to clearly assign special minitry time to the 13 to 20 year olds, as well as the 20 to 40 young adults. Asora spoke about the role of the Pasifika Misionare as a long term development which had to have a name that provides an unique role among Pacific communities. The Pasifika Misionare does offer a Pasifika way to how we address mission and ministry, with a particular calling to youth ministries and young adults. This is the reason he was excited about the forum where young leaders gather from the different opart of the church, both in the PI Synod and those working with local presbytery.
They both spoke on the joys of seeing such a group gathered to share the stories of how Jesus has influenced their lives. The spirital journeys they have shared maps out both the joys and frustrations working in a intergenerational relationship at parish level. It is clearly a journey that have given them strength to be here, rather than exit as many have, but having to live through the experiences as many has and yet have the calling to either stay or to return as some have shared.
The two representatives from the PI Synod spoke clearly of the commitment that the PI Synod must have to supporting these special ministries within the local churches and hopefully with the assistance of such a group, provide the support to local leaders. They both offer their personal affirmations, as well as asking the question of the commitment of such leadership to be founded in Christ, with a clear dependence on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them.
A special thanks to the Moderator and the Clerk for offering to provide lunch for the group which was most appreciated.
My own reflection.
I believe this to be one of the few opportunities that we find Young Pacific Leaders gathered together from the different sectors of the church, with a mind to explore ways of furthering God's will among Pacific youth and young adults in our multicultural communities.
The time of sharing as reported above, is an attempt of sharing such a precious moment when God's people spoke with passion about their journey in ministry among Pacific Island communities.
I find similarities in the accounts offered where there is both joy and frustration in their paths. The struggles that we find as reported, are those where the current leaders hold strongly to beliefs that their understanding of God need to be maintained in the form and styke that were passed down to them. It is the question on stewratship, that they screen other ways of worship, of dress, of music and of the teaching and preaching of the Word.
There are times that the young gets so frustrated that they walk out of the church and seek other sactuaries for feeding their spirituality. Unfortunately this becomes a sign that these same young people have lost their faith, they have become backsliders, they are destined for eternal damnation. Can we blame current leaders for thinking like this, as many have maintained strict teaching based on extremely conservative theology and fixed cultural practice.
For migrant youth and young people, and the fortunate NZ born young people who knows the culture and language, they will continue to enjoy participating in these Pacific congregations. We even see growth in numbers and in spirit among these congregations fill with youth and young adults.
Not so blessed are the young people who may know some of the culture but unable to speak the language, for these are the folk that would not remain within the congregations that often conduct all their business in language and cultural protocols.
Imagine if young families are also from two different Pacific cultures, where neither are versed with either culture or language.
These are senarios that are acted out in many familes who contemplate attending our Pacific congregations every sunday.
If the struggles of the young leaders that had remained and are actively involved are anything to go by, then it is time that leaders from our congregations do take heed of the call for us to maybe take another approach to our walk of faith. These are questions that maybe appropriate for ministers and leaders in each congregations as well as forums such as the PI Synod and its constituents.
Instead of offering a set of remedies from this group, it is appropriate for us to allow the processes with in the Pacific Churches in the PCANZ to work out some of these issues pertanant to the growth of the Gospelk in the community. It is however appropriate that these issues are raised at this forum.
We do need to seek ways of providing leadership for our communities, giving theological meaning to the need for change.
Agenda of our next meeting
- Calenda of Parish special events, special services and Fono mission and ministries.{how can we develope one even if all we begin with are youth mission activities}
- How can we encourage each congregation to develop web sites as a means of connecting with the communities.
- How can we manage a web page within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ that I have arranged with the communication department. This is a means of sharing with the rest of our PCANZ families of the exciting mission and ministries happening in our neck of the woods.
- I am thinking of hosting a theological forum where we can open invitations for youth and young people to speak on a selected set of topics that follow a certain theme. (open for discussion)
- Please bring something that you would like on the agenda, as in special service, workshops bible study groups etc.
Rev Don Ikitoelagi
(Pasifika Misionare)
The majority of the service was conducted in Tongan, however for the benefit of non Tongan speakers, Tani busied herself typing directly onto power-point translation, saving time and improving communication which I found refreshing as well as it being innovative.
