Service based on Maori proverb

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 6

Service based on Maori proverb

New Zealand’s draft order for the World Day of Prayer sei-vice in 1973 has been well received, it was reported at the annual meeting of the Dominion women’s committee of the National Council of Churches in Christchurch recently. The theme of the service is “Alert In Our Times.” It is taken from the Maori proverb: “Tama tu tama ora tama moe tama mote—he who is alert survives, he who goes to sleep is destroyed,” says a report of the meeting. The two guest speakers at the meeting were the Rev. R. M. O’Grady, assistant general secretary and resettlement officer of the National Council of Churches in New Zealand, and Mrs Mary Sarongan, who is also on the staff of the N.C.C. in Christchurch.

Maoris needed some field in which they could shine in a society which had robbed them of most other opportunities to do so, said Mr O’Grady, discussing the church’s attitude to race relations.

After Mr Gnana Sunderam, of Ceylon, joined the National Council of Churches staff in Auckland, he had decided that pakeha New Zealanders did not understand Maoris, or even tty to, Mr O’Grady said. Pakehas. were beginning to realise this, and were coming to the conclusion that the pakeha would not understand the Maori until he could speak to him in his own thought form, he said. So it was envisaged that every child should learn Maori tanga, and elementary Maori. Enthusiastic seven and eight-year-olds would probably best receive early teaching in Maori language and custom.

Most theological colleges now included Maori in their courses, said Mr O’Grady. Law and order was another area in which the church was beginning to look at society in greater depth. Next year a major study on the subject would be held. Industrial chaplaincies were developing, too, and in these the ministry was relating to people where they worked. It was hoped to expand this work, but, as yet, few ministers were trained in this field. , ..

Mr O’Grady took "new concepts of overseas aid”. as this third theme. Discussing Government aid, he said rich countries made such conditions in their gifts to poor countries that hoped-for goals had not been achieved. As an example he quoted figures for 1968, saying the developed nations spent

! t $200,000,000m in armaments, „ but gave only $6,300,000m in « aid. Mrs Sarongan, who worked t for the N.C.C. for 18 years e in Indonesia, spoke, on the ' complexities of life in that e country. Officers elected at the ] meeting:—chairman, Mrs W. _ R. Laws; vice-chairman, Mrs A. H. MacLeod; secretary, Mrs G. F. McKenzie; treasurer, Mrs J. E. D. Stringlee man; minute secretary, Mrs ” N. F. Roberts; Fellowship of ■i the Least Coin convener, Mrs a R. P. Fendall; literature committee, Mrs R. D. Cormack e (convener), Miss M. Mullan, e Mesdames W. M. Davies, B. :- C. C. Jenkins, M. F. Roberts, f M. R. Tunnicliffe; World Day of Prayer committee, Mest dames J. C. Sheard (con- , vener), G. M. I. Barton, R. A. ’) Blampied, A. H. MacLeod, P. , Ott, R. P. F. Plaistowe, G. 11 McKenzie.