Thinking Anglicans

second Maori vote against the Anglican Covenant

on Sunday, 12 June 2011 at 8.24 am by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Anglican Communion

For our earlier report on the New Zealand situation, see New Zealand Maori diocese rejects Covenant.

Now, Bosco Peters reports that a second Maori diocese has also voted against it. See Maori momentum growing against Anglican Covenant. Below is the text of the motion, see Bosco’s post for further analysis.

TE HUI AMORANGI O TE TAIRAWHITI
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TURANGA-NUI-A-KIWA

Saturday 11 June 2011

Motion concerning the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant

IT IS MOVED:

That for the purposes of providing feedback to Te Hinota Whanui (General Synod) and Te Runanganui o Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, Te Hui Amorangi o Te Tairawhiti wishes to express the following:

• We have carefully considered the text of The Anglican Communion Covenant, and what we know of the context in which it was proposed;

• In terms of our shared Mihingare and Anglican heritage, our call to communion, and our call to ministry and mission, the Covenant offers us nothing new or more compelling than the Spiritual Covenant that we already have with each other through faith in Jesus Christ;

• We see that Section Four of The Anglican Communion Covenant propose measures of compliance and discipline – including “relational consequences” and being declared “incompatible with the Covenant” – that go against our Gospel imperative to “love one another” (John 13:34-35).

We note that our sister Amorangi, Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o Te Wheke, has stated its opposition to The Anglican Communion Covenant because:

• It is a threat to the rangatiratanga of the Tangata Whenua;

• It does not reflect our understanding of being Anglican in these Islands; and

• We should instead focus on the restoration of justice for Tangata Whenua under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We agree with Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o Te Wheke, and choose here to stand in solidarity with them.

For the reasons expressed above, Te Hui Amorangi o Te Tairawhiti states that it is opposed to the adoption of The Anglican Communion Covenant.

MOVED: Rev Don Tamihere SECONDED: Rev Connie Tuheke-Ferris

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY WITH ACCLAMATION