Missionaries now likely to be locals

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 4

Missionaries now likely to be locals

By

ANABRIGHT HAY

People opening their doors to Mormon missionaries in New Zealand are less likely to hear an American accent today, according to a Mormon mission president, Mr Melvin Tagg. Mr Tagg has recently been appointed mission president of the Christchurch Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Originally from Alberta, Canada, Mr Tagg’s new position involves the organising, training and motivation of the Church’s 236 missionaries working in the South Island and the North Island south of Hawke’s Bay.

He said that although a number of young Americans were in New Zealand, more New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders were working as missionaries than in the past.

Interest in the Church was growing in this part of the world and more local people were interested in missionary work, Mr Tagg said. While any suitable Church members were

welcome to become missionaries it was good to have local missionaries who could relate to the area and its people. As the Church’s clergy and missionaries were all voluntary it was desirable to keep travelling costs down, he said.

Missionary work was an important part of the ministry of the Church and was generally undertaken by young men and women for about two years full time before they began paid employment. Mrs Wilma Tagg said the missionaries were required to refrain from many of the socialising activities normally enjoyed by young people, and so grew up fast.

They were responsible for much of the Church’s teaching and had wisdom beyond their years.

The aim of the missionaries was to give people the opportunity to accept the restored Gospel into their lives, she said. Winning converts without using pressure tactics was important. Last year about 450 people were baptised into the Church in the Christchurch mission.