By Amanda Wells
Presbyteries around the country have been meeting to discuss mergers, with significant progress made in several regions.
The meetings are because General Assembly 2008 decided to reshape radically the presbytery system to focus on resourcing members rather than governance.
The Very Rev Garry Marquand, part of the Presbyteries Task Group, says the central North Island has made fast progress, partly because Bay of Plenty and Waikato had already decided to combine before GA08. South Auckland has joined in the discussion, though is yet to make a final decision.
Garry, also part of the planning team for the new, merged presbytery, says they’re keen for it to have a markedly different culture and purpose.
The super-presbytery will have only two meetings a year, which will focus on mission resourcing and building relationships. Instead of taking up most of the meeting time, all governance work will be done by a business committee.
Garry describes resourcing groups as being “at the heart of the presbytery”. These groups are about inspiring and equipping people for mission, as well as providing collegial support.
The first official meeting of the new presbytery will be held this September, over a weekend so that working people can attend, and will feature a seminar by Moderator the Right Rev Dr Graham Redding
Garry says the new Central North Island presbytery will have some freedom to form itself, rather than everything having been detailed in advance by its predecessors.
Key things that will be in place include a moderatorial team (rather than just one person in the role); business committee; administrator (who will perform an expended presbytery clerk role); and a treasurer.
The presbytery’s business committee is likely to meet five times a year, with electronic communication in the interim. A culture of short-term task groups is planned, so that they are set up to solve and address a problem, then finish.
All the details don’t need to be finalised, Garry says. “We’re a rules and regulations Church and some people struggle with that. But it’s very important for us to stay flexible and free because the context around the country is so varied.”
Other questions fielded by the task group have related to how tasks will be done at a national level, Garry says. “We can only partly respond to that, as the details are being finalised by other groups.”
People in the rural sector have expressed some concerns about the new model, he says, such as whether they will be marginalised if meetings are held in cities. “Our response is that resourcing groups provide better opportunities than have existed in the past”. For example, a rural resourcing group could link different geographical areas with common concerns and contexts.
The reformation of presbyteries has thrown up some queries from Uniting congregations, particularly in terms of the role of UDCs, Garry says. However, some UDCs are expressing interest in the process, such as Wairarapa, which is considering what it has in common with Manawatu Wanganui.
There’s no deadline for the new presbyteries’ formation, Garry says.
Another area making progress is Southland and Otago. The Rev Karl Lamb of Te Anau’s Lakeside Church is part the task group formed by Southland presbytery to tackle the merger.
Karl says all the presbyteries in the Synod of Otago and Southland area, which is south of the Waitaki River, have already met once, with another meeting planned for April.
Karl says, given that GA08 had made its decision, people were supportive and keen to make the best of the situation. The region has tentatively decided to combine all presbyteries in the Synod of Otago and Southland area. “There still the nuts and bolts to sort out.”
Southland presbytery had already reorganised its operations along the lines proposed by the Presbyteries review, with separate governance and resoucing groups.
Karl says it’s hoped the new presbytery will be operational in time to be confirmed by General Assembly next year.