Ecumenical Pacific Cruise Suggested

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 26

Ecumenical Pacific Cruise Suggested

An ecumenical church cruise of South Pacific Island groups was suggested to the monthly meeting of the executive of the National Council of Churches this week, by the council’s general secretary, the Rev. D. M. Taylor. Reporting on his attendance at the inaugural meeting of the South Pacific Conference of Churches, Mr Taylor said: “I think we are ready now to begin planning a church tour, by ship, to some island groups on an ecumenical basis, say in 1969.”

The New Zealand Council must continue the role to which it was committed “of playing our full part in the co-operation of churches not only across denominational boundaries but also across geographical boundaries,” Mr Taylor said. Islanders’ Needs “Perhaps the most urgent task we must face is our responsibility to Islanders who migrate to New Zealand,” said Mr Taylor. Grouping Islanders in Auckland in the same category as Puerto Ricans in New York, and Jamaicans in London, who did not fit into any neat category for which the larger churches felt a responsibility, Mr Taylor said he thought that study of the problem and the possibility of joint Christian action were due for attention. "If only the immigrants were from the Melanesian Mission the Anglican Church would feel responsible. If they were from the right place the Presbyterians would rally to their aid. But many are Congregationalists and there simply aren’t enough Congregationalists in Auckland to meet their need. Other Islanders are Mormons and Roman Catholics, and therefore nothing to do with us,” said Mr Taylor. “Islanders who are attached to congregations are in good hands. The question is what about those who have no such attachment? The Immigration Division of the Labour Department is deeply concerned and would like to see the churches actively helping more.” Helping Students A report on the needs of African, Asian and Pacific students in New Zealand was received by the council executive, which agreed to send

information to all its branches and to publish part of the report in the August issue of “Church and Community” in order to gain active support of church people in helping the students. Comment on the imbalance of representation on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches between Europeans and Africans and Asians made by Mr Taylor, was to be used by the World Council in studying the question of representation, Mr Taylor told the executive. Mr Taylor’s comments pointed out that out of 86 members on the central world body, 23 were from the United States and 40 from Europe. The World Council had advised that it would put Mr Taylor’s views before a special committee which was being set up to consider representation before the next General Assembly, and that the comments would also be used in an article being compiled for the quarterly Ecumenical Review on the value of statistics in the work of the World Council.