Apartheid declared a heresy

Press, 10 May 1984, Page 3

Apartheid declared a heresy

The Anglican Church in New Zealand has officially declared apartheid as a heresy. The move, made by the General Synod at Christchurch yesterday, supports similar declarations made by the Church in South Africa in 1982 and the World Council of Churches last year. It is the first such declaration made by a church in New Zealand.

Declarations of heresy are rare, according to the Church’s director of communications, the Rev. P. W. Davis.

The motion sparked considerable debate, with Synod members presenting strong arguments for and against the proposal.

The Dean-elect of Christchurch, and present Dean of

Waiapu, the Very Rev. Dr D. J. Coles, strongly supported the motion. Apartheid denied the central teachings of Christian faith, he said. If passed, it would clearly be seen as a theological rather than political issue. “It is a matter of basic Christian doctrine," he said.

This was not accepted by the Dean of Auckland, the Very Rev. J. 0. Rymer, who questioned the basis on which the theological description of apartheid could be condemned by the Synod. He referred to a National Council of Churches’ report, “Apartheid As Heresy,” warning that it was not a primary source of information from which the Synod could make a judgment.