Prior
to 1901 the Presbyterian Church was represented in New Zealand by the (Northern)
Presbyterian Church of New Zealand which included the provinces of Canterbury
to Northland and the southern based Free Church of Scotland influenced
Synod of Otago and Southland. Each of these churches had their own independent
Missions Committee supporting their Missionaries in the New Hebrides and
among the NZ Chinese. As a settler church, the Presbyterian work
among New Zealand Maori depended upon one or two individual Missionaries
who showed an interest in this work.
Foreign
Mission Convenor's for the (Northern) Presbyterian Church Missions Committee
from 1862 to 1901 were :
Rev James
Duncan |
1862, 1865
to 1871 |
Rev Thomas
Norrie |
1863 to
1864 |
Rev James
Patterson |
1872 to
1880 |
Rev James
Treadwell |
1881 to
1887 |
Rev Robert Erwin |
1888 to 1894 |
Rev William Grant |
1895 to 1901 |
Foreign
Mission Convenors for the Synod of Otago & Southland Mission Committee
from 1867 to 1901 were :
Rev James Copland |
1867 to 1871 |
Rev James Kirkland |
Jan to Jun 1872 |
Rev William Bannerman |
Jul 1872 to Nov 1901 |
The
'Foreign Missions Committee' was created in 1901 when the Southern and
Northern Presbyterian Churches of New Zealand finally joined their Missionary
Committees along with their respective Churches.
The
Foreign Missions Office of the Presbyterian Church was run by a Missions
Secretary who handled the day to day operations while policy decisions
were recommended by a Convenor in consultation with the members of an appointed
Foreign Missions Committee and approved by the annual Presbyterian Church
General Assembly. Salaries and financial matters were handled by the Presbyterian
Church General Treasurer under the direction of the Foreign Missions Committee.
Foreign
Mission Convenors from 1901 to 1935 were :
Rev W Hewitson |
1901 to 1922 |
Rev GH Jupp |
1923 to 1928 |
Rev FB Barton |
1929 to Aug 1935 |
Rev EJ Tipler |
Sept 1935 |
Rev JA Thomson |
Sept to Oct 1935 |
Foreign
Mission Secretary's from 1901 to 1935 were :
Mr PL Clark |
1907 to
1913 |
Rev A Don |
1914 to
1923 |
Rev HH
Barton |
1923 to
1928 |
Rev W Mawson |
1928 to
1935 |
In
October 1935, under a cost - cutting measure during the depression years,
the Foreign Missions Committee joined with Home and Maori Missions to become
the 'Missions Committee'. The Superintendent of Home Missions initially
took over the added responsibility of the work of the former Foreign Mission
Secretary until a Missions Director was appointed in 1939 to oversee this
work.
Mission
Committee Convenors from 1936 to 1948 were :
Rev JA Thomson |
1936 |
Rev DM Cattanach |
1937 to 1939 |
Rev RF Fish |
1940 to 1946 |
Rev RG McDowall |
1947 to 1948 |
Mission
Committee Superintendent from 1936 :
Mission
Committee Director from 1939 :
Rev DN MacDiarmid |
1939 to 1948 |
In 1948,
the responsibility for our overseas missions work was separated off from
the Missions Committee with a new 'Overseas Missions Committee' (OMC) being
created.
An Overseas
Missions Secretary was appointed, however due to the pressure of an ever
increasing workload, he was joined by an Assistant Secretary in July 1959.
The Assistant Secretary was given the responsibility for oversight of our
Missions in the South Pacific region. Both Secretaries were at all
times responsible to the 'Overseas Missions Committee' who met regularly
to review activities.
Overseas
Missions Secretary from 1949 to 1967 :
Rev JS Murray |
1948 to 1967 |
Overseas
Missions Assistant Secretary from 1949 to 1967 :
Rev DE Duncan |
1959 to 1967 |
In 1968
the Secretary's titles werealtered to "Executive Secretary" and "Associate
Secretary" respectively.
In November
1971 the title of the 'Overseas Missions Committee' was changed to the
'Committee on Missions Overseas' to better reflect the changing emphasis
away from interventionist Mission work overseas to acting in more of a
support role to emerging indigenous Christian churches in terms of financial
aid and staff support. Our Missionaries became known as 'Overseas Workers'.
Overseas
Missions Executive Secretaries from 1968 to 1975 were :
Rev JS Murray |
1968 |
Rev DE Duncan |
1969 to 1975 |
Overseas
Missions Associate Secretaries from 1968 to 1975 were :
Rev DE Duncan |
1968 |
Rev AG Horwell |
1969 to 1975 |
In February
1975 the 'Committee on Mission Overseas' joined with the 'Methodist Church
of NZ Overseas Division' to form the 'Interim Joint Board for Mission Overseas'
(JIBMO). While both Committees had always liaised closely, the prevalence
of ecumenism in indigenous Churches overseas and the regular sharing of
inter-denominational Mission staff made the idea of a joint Missions committee
and staffing practical and indeed necessary. It was also an approach that
the indigenous Churches overseas expected of us due to their own successful
and ongoing efforts in relation to Church union.
During
this interim period, the Presbyterian and Methodist Secretaries continued
to oversee their own staff and Mission areas with the Joint Interim Board
meeting as a joint Methodist/Presbyterian body to oversee all staff and
activities.
Joint Interim
Board for Mission Overseas Executive Secretary (Presbyterian) from 1975
to 1978 :
Rev DE Duncan |
1975 to 1977 |
Joint Interim Board For Mission Overseas Associate Secretary (Presbyterian)
from 1975 to 1978 :
Rev AG Horwell |
1975 to 1977 |
This interim
arrangement was formalised in Nov 1977 with the renaming of the Interim
Committee simply as the 'Joint Board For Mission Overseas' (JBMO). By this
time responsibility for Mission areas and staff were shared between the
two Secretaries regardless of denomination.
Joint Board
For Mission Overseas Joint Secretaries from 1978 to 1984 were :
Rev AG Horwell (Presbyterian) |
1977 to 1979 |
Rev DC Evans (Presbyterian) |
1979 to 1984 |
Rev G Tucker (Methodist) |
1977 to 1984 |
In August
1984, the responsibility for overseeing our Overseas Missions work was
devolved to the 'Council For Mission and Ecumenical Co-Operation' (COMEC)
working through three Joint Secretaries who oversaw five regional units
throughout New Zealand, each being given specific areas of responsibility.
All activities were co-ordinated by a national committee who were in turn
responsible to the Presbyterian General Assembly and the Methodist Church
of NZ Conference. COMEC additionally took over the work of the Presbyterian
and Methodist Church International Relations and Ecumenical Affairs Committees.
This organisation
proved somewhat unwieldy with some regional units later being amalgamated.
In August
2002, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand again took over sole
responsibility for it's Mission to overseas Churches with the creation
of a new
'Global
Mission Office'
under the Presbyterian
'Overseas Mission and Partnerships Policy Group' of the Council of Assembly.
Global Missions
Office Secretary From Aug 2002 to 2004 :
Rev AP (Andrew) Bell |
Aug 2002 to 2004 |
'Overseas Mission and Partnerships Policy Group' disbanded by the 2004 General Assembly. After adding the International Ecumenical Relations Portfolio, the position is now known as 'Global Mission Enabler'.
Global Mission Enablers from Apr 2005 :
Rev AP (Andrew) Bell |
Apr 2005 to 31 Jul 2009 |
Rev Stuart Simpson |
From 1 Aug 2009 |
Mission Area Organization :
The
organization of the Punjab and Canton Villages/South China Mission fields
fell under the oversight of regional Mission Councils comprising of most
of the Missionaries on the Mission field with an elected President, Secretary,
Treasurer and often sub - committees, such as an Education Committee, Medical
Committee, Evangelistic Committee etc that reported back to the Mission
Council. At all times the Mission Councils were responsible to the NZ Mission
Committees.
Responsibility
for the Canton Villages Mission area was largely devolved to the 'Kwantung
Synod of the Church of Christ in China' in 1926 with the NZ Church still
being responsible for staffing, financial support for its Missionaries,
the Kong Chuen Hospital and annual grants to the Church of Christ in China.
Our Mission staff left China in 1952 and our Mission was closed.
Responsibility
for the Punjab Mission area was devolved to the 'Ambala Church Council
of the United Church of Northern India' (UCNI) in April 1953 with the NZ
Church still being responsible for its own staffing, financial support
for its Missionaries, property and domestic matters, and annual financial
grants to the UCNI.
The
New Hebrides Mission (now Vanuatu) was structured differently due to the
isolated nature of the islands and the difficulties of regular communication.
The Missionaries were part of a regional Synod represented by each of the
Presbyterian Missions operating in the Islands. A Synod was held annually
on one of the islands, attended by all Missionaries. A 'Moderator'
of Synod was appointed each year.
The Australian
based 'Maritime Service Board' assisted with arranging Mission supplies
for both the Australian and New Zealand Missions and also undertook financial
matters on behalf of the NZ Church and the Missionaries themselves.
Responsiblity
for the New Hebrides Mission area was devolved to the newly formed Presbyterian
Church of New Hebrides Synod in 1948 with the NZ Church still being responsible
for its own staffing, financial support for its Missionaries, domestic
matters and annual financial grants to the Presb. Church of the New Hebrides.
The
Madras Mission was under the control of the Church of Scotland and the
United Free Church of Scotland Missions although the NZ Foreign Missions
Committee was kept well informed of policy decisions and consulted where
and when necessary. Our responsibility to this Mission ceased when our
own Punjab Mission opened in 1908.
The Presbyterian
Church has also undertaken considerable Mission work in Indonesia, Papua
New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and in
the South Pacific region generally, especially after the Congregational
Church joined the PCNZ in the late 1960's. Their Mission focus had been
very much in the South Pacific area through their support of the 'Congregational
Council For World Mission' (CCWM) who had a strong presence in this area.
The PCNZ continued this close association with the work of the CCWM.
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