Pacific churches have condemned the media blackout in West Papua, military crackdown in parts of the territory and the silencing of dissenting voices. They have also criticised the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) for “allowing Indonesia into their fold”. In a statement, the Suva-based Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) said it had noted with deepening concern Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pacific Island Churches’
American Church and the pastoral needs of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics
Monday, June 18th, 2018
A new document focused on guiding the American Church in addressing the pastoral needs of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics was approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops during their annual spring assembly. It is described as a “pastoral response” meant to provide support and to offer ideas for ministry to the nation’s nearly Read more
Churches could be effective change agents in obesity campaign
Friday, October 5th, 2012
Professor Boyd Swinburn believes churches in the Pacific Islands could be effective preachers of the good news about weight loss because any effective obesity programme needs to address socio-cultural barriers and churches are often the custodians of culture. He has reached this conclusion after a three-year project to reduce obesity levels in the Pacific which worked well in Australia but was ineffective Read more
Pacific Island Churches behind Advance Pasifika March
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012
Pacific Island churches have supported the Advance Pasifika March which took place in Auckland last Saturday. The call to march came from the Auckland City Council appointed Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel, which says it wants to stop being a “rubber stamp” for council policies and create an independent Pacific forum. The chairman of the Advisory Read more
Church preaches weight reduction
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
Some churches in New Zealand are taking part in programmes to encourage Pacific Island people to live in a healthier way. Some of the programmes are directed toward weight reduction. Aere Ki Mua is a new church-based health programme which has received $70,000 funding from the Waikato District Health Board’s Healthy Eating Healthy Action (HEHA) programme. Each church project received Read more
Congregations feel pressure to donate
Friday, July 1st, 2011
Pacific Island churches in New Zealand say members of some congregations have gone into debt because of pressure to donate to churches. The parishioners have fallen victim to loan sharks who promise easy borrowing but extremely high interest rates. The Reverend Tavake Tupou, who heads an independent Tongan Methodist congregation in Auckland, told Radio Australia’s Read more