A new museum being built at a remote North Hokianga marae will rival any in the Far North, a curator says. Construction of Raiātea Resource Centre, at Motuti Marae between Kohukohu and Mitimiti, is well under way with the roof of the two-storey building now nearing completion. Most items in the collection — which include Read more
New Zealand
Police give safety briefings to places of worship
Monday, May 6th, 2019
Churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship are getting personalised safety briefings from the police. Police are delivering safety tips and going through emergency plans with religious organisations to ensure people are – and feel – safe when they pray. Last week anti-Muslim leaflets were placed on cars while people attended church services in Palmerston Read more
Bibles donated to NZDF brings comfort even to non-believers
Monday, May 6th, 2019
Bible Society New Zealand has recently donated 5,000 specially designed Bibles to the chaplaincy service of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). “People come into my office, and many aren’t religious, but they are all going through things”, says the Principal Defence Force Chaplain Ants Hawes. “I say to them, ‘Look I know you are Read more
Students query Vatican’s astronomer about his faith
Monday, May 6th, 2019
“The Church loves science. To be close to the universe is to be close to God” says Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory. He has been visiting New Zealand on a lecture tour been sponsored by Catholic Discovery (formerly the Catholic Enquiry Centre). Consolmagno made this remark after students at Hamilton’s St John College challenged him Read more
World’s first Māori woman bishop
Monday, May 6th, 2019he Archbishops of the Anglican Church in New Zealand have elected the world’s first Māori woman Bishop. Archdeacon Waitohiariki Quayle has been appointed Bishop of Te Ūpoko o Te Ika. She was ordained deacon in 2013 and priest in 2014 by Bishop Muru Walters at the Church of Te Hepara Pai in Masterton. Continue reading
More than 5000 wait on migration decision
Monday, May 6th, 2019More than 5000 parents of migrants are waiting for a moratorium on parent category visas to be lifted so they can be reunited with their children in New Zealand, but New Zealand First looks unlikely to back the removal of the ban. Continue reading
Students helping to keep people warm this winter
Monday, May 6th, 2019The winter chill is coming on fast and it can be the toughest season for people struggling to keep their families warm and healthy. But a group of high school students are determined to make a difference with their very own winter project. Continue reading
Census 2018 limitations disproportionately affect Māori
Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
One in seven people did not complete the 2018 census, the first to be moved mostly online. Māori are likely to have been disproportionately affected by the new process but they have had no say in its design or implementation says Te Mana Raraunga, (TMR) the Māori Data Sovereignty Network. They think the limitations of the Read more
Hate Speech – who decides what is insulting or offensive?
Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern has told Newshub that her government won’t ban criticism of religious groups, but it is reviewing whether New Zealand laws go far enough in stopping violence against them. Both ACT party leader David Seymour and Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki appear to agree that people should be allowed to express their Read more
Church tackles housing crisis by building eco social housing
Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
A church in Gisborne is tackling its local housing shortage. It is the driving force behind a plan to build module eco homes for families in need. The Ahuru Mowai Housing Project has the twofold aim of increasing ownership of energy-efficient homes and boosting employment. Ahuru Mowai plans to build seven module homes in Ida Read more