Anglican Communion News Service

The 8th Anglican Indigenous Network (AIN) gathering (31 March - 5 April) began with a traditional Maori welcome near the shores of Lake Rotorua, Aotearoa (New Zealand). A young Maori man dressed in traditional warrior's apparel came forward before the entering delegations with a traditional club-spear to test the delegations' intentions of either peaceful or warlike. By picking up the green fern leaf branch left upon the ground, the Secretary General of AIN, Mr Malcolm Naea Chun, gave the Maori host of the Bishopric of Aotearoa, that the delegations came in peace. A few moments later he would reaffirm this by invoking a traditional Maori saying that the gathering was to "sew the threads of humanity together so they could never be broken." Even at the end of the formal welcome traditional cultural elements were seen in the appearance of a double rainbow.

The host for this gathering, The Rt Revd Whakahuihui Vercoe, in his sermon at Eucharist on the mooring of the first day of business, called for the delegations to be "storytellers, value bearers, community builders and spiritual journeyers" whose voices and work more than ever needs to heard and seen in the Anglican Communion. He implored the delegates, "This is our heritage and to act on this heritage is our ministry. It is a ministry of listening, of healing, and of caring."

Further words of encouragement and greetings came from the Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, the Revd Canon John L. Peterson, who wrote, "As you reflect on how you are able to grow into the fullness of the purpose of your network, we, too, will be reflecting how we as a Communion can be more effective in our support of your ministry. Together might we be able to use our common gifts and our common spirituality 'to transform' the life of the Christian community."

The Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Protestant Church of United States of American, The Rt Revd Frank T Griswold, wrote, "A gift of our Anglican Communion is that we are able to come together to share in one another's realities and contacts, and therefore have a better understanding of how Christ moved throughout the world." He further wrote, "I hope that the time you spend together is fruitful, and that you find a strengthening of faith through community. I pray that you will all grow in your awareness of the strengths that can be found by being attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This comes with my very good wishes and blessings for you all. Yours in Christ."

With these words of encouragement, the delegations, from the Torres Strait Islands of Australia, the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, Native Americans of the United States and Hawaii and Maori delegates and observers, including five bishops from the USA and Aotearoa, heard their Secretary General set the theme for this 2003 gathering. Mr Chun recalled that at Cairns 2001, held right after the events of 11 September, AIN had changed its direction from a gathering of network leaders to focus upon the issues and concerns of its constituents, especially youth, women, elders, clergy and theological education and training. He called upon the delegations, who represented these groups, to use the gathering as a rare opportunity to organise themselves, to set their goals, objectives, and implementation plans, and above all to make their voices heard.

Before the delegations broke out into their representative groups, they listened to a special guest, Archdeacon Taimalelagi Tuatagaloa Matalavea, the Anglican Observer to the United Nations. She reported on the nature of her office and work and stressed that indigenous minority issues at the United Nations are one of her priorities. She also pointed out the tenuous nature of the office due to the lack of funds, but also how important the office is by letting groups like AIN know of forthcoming world gatherings like the next meeting in late May of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples, whose topic is children and youth.

Then for the next few days the delegations concentrated their work in their own groups. They developed several reports and resolutions to be presented to the whole body of AIN.

Among eight resolutions passed by AIN, the most encompassing one called for the "creation of a non-geographic Province of the Anglican Communion for the Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Rim." It was noted in the deliberations that unlike other Anglicans in the world who have sought to have their religious expression outside being in relationship and dialogue in the Communion, the membership of AIN continues to fulfil its mission statement in being "committed to the Anglican tradition while affirming our traditional spirituality. We believe that God is leading the Church to a turning point in its history and that the full partnership of indigenous peoples is essential. Therefore we pledge to work together to exercise our leadership in contributing our vision and gifts to transform the life of the Christian community."

Each of the delegations also introduced resolutions of regional concerns for mutual support. The following resolutions were adopted and passed by the membership:

AIN supports the concept presented by Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa for a " Primatial Leadership Team," for the purpose of exercising collaborative leadership among the three Senior Bishops of the Anglican Church in Aoteoroa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

AIN as a formal body of the Anglican Consultative Council supports and recognises Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Ministry as a formal body representing the needs and concerns of the indigenous peoples of the United States.

AIN supports the establishment of a Native Hawaiian Area Mission; the establishment of an office of the co-ordinator for Native Hawaiian indigenous ministry; supports the increase of numbers of indigenous Native Hawaiian clergy; supports the training of our indigenous ministry aspirants to ministry through our Native Hawaiian Study Curriculum.

AIN strongly supports the efforts for a true and meaningful Covenant between the Anglican Indigenous people of Australia and the Church.

AIN express support for the position of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples in relation to the Settlement Agreement between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Federal Government of Canada.

AIN express continual support for the Gwich'in Nation and for the establishment of a permanent natural reserve and refuge from the exploitation of natural resources.

It was also moved formally that:

AIN supports the development of the Anglican Indigenous Youth Network to assist Anglican Indigenous Network in meeting and addressing the needs of the youth and young adults within the Anglican Church and our home communities.

On a more informal level the groups representing woman, elders and indigenous theological educators will also continue to organise themselves and to meet before the next AIN gathering in 2005. The women and elders have indicated their interim gatherings to be in 2004 to be held in Hawaii. They also, following the call of the AIN Secretary General, found the need for dialogue between groups and this was initiated by the elders and youth with designated leaders.

In this dialogue they began to explore the need for better interaction among the generations especially as means for church and community growth, with the youth calling to their elders to get more involved.

Continuing the rotation of hosting AIN gatherings, the next gathering will be held in the United States of American in early Spring of 2005 and with the venue either in Southern California or Oklahoma.

As the 8th gathering of AIN began in traditional protocol so it ended with gift giving among the delegations and host.

ENDS