Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia

A warm welcome for Anglican Church Delegates in Fiji

There was a warmth in the welcome and the temperature for delegates attending the General Synod /Te Hinota Whanui of the Anglican Church in Nadi, Fiji.

The ruling body of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia meets every two years. The body has not visited Polynesia since 1990. During its stay the Synod will encourage and pray for the journey, that is underway, to free elections and democratic governance in Fiji. Archbishop David Moxon says all issues considered at the Synod, including Fiji governance, will be given the respect and honour that was shown in today's welcome.

The Archbishops felt the warmth in two ways. Archbishop Brown Turei commented,

''You have gone out of your way for us, you have turned on the weather, we have been freezing in New Zealand. 'It will be good for us to be in the sun and warmth of your welcome.''

The General Synod formally began with the delegates escorted by a brass band and 200 youth from Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga onto the grounds of St Christopher's Church in Nadi. The welcome followed traditions reserved for chiefs. A whale tooth, precious in the Fijian culture and reserved for sacred use, along with kava, a pig and taro, and chiefly mats were presented to Archbishops Brown Turei and David Moxon.

The General Synod/Te Hinota Whanui will address hard issues but also ones that bring hope. There is a proposal for intergenerational sustainability and to be a carbon neutral church by 2015. Former Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand, will speak to the Synod on Tuesday. He heads the Commission, established by the Church, to review and listen to the whole church on issues related to the ordination and blessing of people in same gender relationships. The Commission has been asked to report its findings in 2014. The main issues will be outlined in the Archbishops' Charge on Sunday afternoon.

Statement from Archbishop Brown Turei, David Moxon and Winston Halapua
Hope in Fiji: We reiterate our statement made at the General Synod in Gisborne two years ago: We appreciate the efforts of the late Bishop Sir Paul Reeves on behalf of the commonwealth, to try to keep open the lines of communication with the present Fijian administration. Bishop Sir Pauls mission was the encouragement of a return to a duly elected parliament by the holding of free elections. A time line for this process has now been offered. We continue to invite prayer for this crucial journey, as the people of Fiji discover, determine and discern for themselves the form of governance that best suits their needs.

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