Anglican commission looks at treaty

Press, 3 August 1985, Page 9

Anglican commission looks at treaty

A six-member commission set up by the Anglican Church at its General Synod in Christchurch in May, 1984, is visiting Christchurch to hear submissions on the Treaty of Waitangi. The commission heard submissions from Christchurch diocesan parishioners at College House last evening and will receive more submissions at the Phillipstown headquarters of the Anglican Maori Mission this morning. The commission comprises the Rt Rev. Manuhuia Bennett, the retired Bishop of Aotearoa; Professor Ken Keith, professor of law at

Victoria University of Wellington; Mr John Towle, a lawyer and chancellor of the diocese of Auckland; the Rt Rev. Brian Davis, Bishop of Waikato; Mr Stephen O’Regan, a Wellington education consultant; and Professor Whatarangi Winiata, professor of accountancy at Victoria University of Wellington. When the commission has completed gathering submissions from throughout New Zealand it will decide whether the Treaty of Waitangi has principles which it thinks should be embodied in the institutions and way of life of the Church of the

Province of New Zealand.

The commission has prepared a discussion paper which has been distributed to dioceses. It outlines various topics of discussion, including whether land that was originally gifted by the Maoris to the Church for a purpose not now being implemented should be returned to the descendants of the donors.

The paper also seeks submissions on Maori language and its use in the Church, clerical training, decisionmaking structures within the Church, and how the principles in the treaty fit the theological dimension.