Anglicans from across Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia were inspired to action on climate justice earlier this month along with special guests from Panama, Brazil and the UK at ‘Moana Water of Life Talanoa 2  – Moving from Lamentation to Hope: Building Resilience’ this 8-10 August.

Co-hosted by the Diocese of Polynesia and Kurahautū - The Archbishops’ Wayfinder Unit, the Moana Water of Life 2 Talanoa opened with a challenge from Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa.  

“Our gathering here as faith communities, as scientists, as people who have the passion to care for God’s Creation, is an invitation to restore relationship, with God, with nature and above all with each other.” 

Archbishop Sione called on Anglicans attending the talanoa to shift the conversation on climate futures away from catastrophe and toward the vital role of churches, scientists and communities in working for God’s Creation to help both communities and the planet to heal.

He began by quoting a man named Lihati Twho had lost his home and livelihood in Cyclone Gita, and who spoke to Archbishop Sione from a chair with legs sunk into the floodwaters. 

“Hey, father don’t worry! he said. ‘Look at the sun, there will be sun out soon, there is still hope. We still have time, there’s all the time in the world, there’s no time to feel sorry.”

Archbishop Sione told the gathering of Anglican students, leaders, educators, climate advocates and activists, that while hope is the destination, lament is still necessary, helping us to name our human sins against God’s Creation that have led to the ecological damage now threatening human life. 

He reminded talanoa participants that ecological destruction violates the sacred relationship between humans and non-humans, and between humans and God. 

“[Moving from lament] The beauty of God can then be reflected in our response to be involved in reparations for climate change. We need to be interpreting our scripture that makes us more responsible, more prophetic and taking charge in the actions that will make a change.”

Climate scientist Professor Elisabeth Holland delivered the news at this week’s talanoa that unless human beings can reduce our negative impact on the atmosphere by a swift, just transition out of fossil fuels, then scientists predict sea level rise could reach up to 10 metres by 2300, leaving humanity little chance of survival. 

But Professor Holland also pointed to the power of churches to lead change, sharing how churches and climate scientists at the University of the South Pacific had worked together to drive forward the call for global emission reduction targets. 

Rev James Bhagwan joined Professsor Holland to share how ecumenical cooperation in the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) had played a key role in communicating the moral and scientific urgency to lower emissions of greenhouse gases. 

Pacific politicians had then taken the struggle for emissions reduction to the world, which ultimately led to the 1.5 degree threshold target being established in the Paris Agreement in 2015, a treaty that saw 195 nations pledge to tackle climate change. 

Building climate resilient churches and communities founded on Indigenous knowledge was a widely shared theme throughout the talanoa. 

Rev Dr Hirini Kaa shared insights from the work of Hāpaitia, the Cyclone Response Unit that backed Māori responses to Cyclone Gabrielle in Aotearoa last year. He explained how its model founded on Indigenous knowledge and relationships of trust had led to fast, effective support from the Church reaching early to the people who needed it most.

Tongan trainers in Community Integrated Resilience Assessment (CIRA), Ms Siva Sunia and Mr Siope Koloamatanagi shared the story of their youth-led resilience programme that maps families’ needs in case of emergency across the four Tongatapu Anglican parishes. 

Years of work since 2016 to implement the assessment system have already enabled swift help for parishioners as soon as an extreme weather warning comes through. And today these skills have enabled the Diocese of Polynesia to develop a Diploma in Climate Resilience training, which is mandatory for everyone in ministry training. 

Rev Dr Cliff Bird set out the PCC’s ‘Reweaving the Ecumenical Mat’ (REM) wellbeing index, which challenges the profit-driven metrics of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Instead, REM factors in not only economic values, but ecological and Indigenous values of moana, vanua and spirituality in its definitions of success designed to drive Government policies. 

Throughout the Moana Water of Life 2 Talanoa, speakers shared stories of Pacific churches that approach their climate challenges from different angles. 

Some lead community restoration of forests, wetlands and mangroves with replanting or political advocacy; others support community-led resettlement or preparations for sea rise such as resilient agriculture and buildings, and many parishes and youth ministry teams regularly clean up waterways and coastlines. Fiji-based Karen Chute-Delaivoni shared how her work with Anglican Missions supports emergency supply container placement on church sites and community gardening to build food resilience, to name a few.

James Bhagwan shared how Pacific Theological College recently played a critical role in a community-led campaign that saved a nearby mangrove forest from destruction for tourism.

Bishop of Grantham, Rt Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, Sarah Spencer and Rev Kate Mitchell from the Diocese of Lincoln shared how the visit of climate resilience teams from Polynesia for Moana Water of Life 1 held in 2019 in the UK had led the Church of England toward undertaking energy audits and fossil fuel divestment, and how Lincoln had moved into community gardening, eco-therapeutic ministries for people in long term unemployment and a six year-long campaign that saved a large Fens wetland area from drainage and destruction.

Other speakers brought more to the talanoa on understanding and responding to the climate crisis.  

Rev Tamsyn Kereopa spoke on how the Moana Talanoa challenges the ecumenical movement and the churches to act, Tafue Lusama outlined the impact of worldview shifts in Indigenous theologies, Tanolo Kami spoke on the influence of geopolitics on Oceanic peoples and places, Prof Paulo Ueti and Dr Emily Colgan shared critical theologies of mutuality and participation versus domination, Paul Roughan emphasised returning to Pacific ways of living as island people and Archbishop of Panama Julio Murray outlined how the Anglican Communion is working to progress climate policies to contain emissions and give the world hope for a better future.

The Moana Water of Life 2 Talanoa ‘From Lamentation to Hope: Building Resilience’ was livestreamed in full. The different sessions can be found via the links with descriptions below.

Livestreams for Moana Water of Life 2 Talanoa 
‘From Lamentation to Hope: Building Resilience’  

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session one

→ 08.28 (26 min) Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa opening call on shifting ‘From Lamentation to Hope’ 

→ 51.30 (30 min) Rev Dr Hirini Kaa on mātauranga – on the value of centering Indigenous knowledge in climate resilience planning and disaster response

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session two

→ 07.30 (33 min) Professor Elisabeth Holland on the powerful collaboration of climate science and faith advocacy on emmissions reduction and just transition to a fossil fuel free future

→ 55.40 (53 min) Bishop of Grantham Rt Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, Sarah Spencer and Kate Mitchell on Moana Water of Life 1, climate advocacy and practical action to protect and value Creation in the Diocese of Lincoln

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session three

→ 00.49 (48 min) Rev James Bhagwan shares stories on the urgency and power of ecumenial climate advocacy, ranging from mourning lost island homes to global movements to protect the earth and its most vulnerable communities

→ 51.40 (35 min) Rev Dr Cliff Bird introduces the Pacific Churches’ work in developing alternatives to economic globalisation that shift the measure of success from GDP growth to holistic,  Pacific-centred measures of wellbeing, including the GDP replacement: REM

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session four

→ 00.30 (30 min) Rev. Dr. Tafue Lusama on how the mythical symbolic theologies of Indigenous peoples offer an alternative worldview to theologies of domination.

→ 34.20 (21 min) Mr. Taholo Kami speaks on the importance of oceanic mega ecosystems in the future of the earth, and the power of Pacific  nations to turn attention to the future of the blue planet.

→ 100.20 (32 min) Mr. Paul Roughan discusses the geopolitical waves that have imposed small nation boundaries on the big ocean islands of the Pacific, and encourages a return to occupation by island-to-island movement.

→ 136.44 ( 1hr 15 min) Panel discussion with Rev. James Bhagwan, Rev. Dr. Tafue Lusama, Mr. Taholo Kami and Mr. Paul Roughan reflects on the issue arising from the day’s talanoa.

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session five

→ 07.20 (1hr 23 min) Community Integrated Resilience Assessment (CIRA) trainers Ms. Siva Sunia and Mr. Siope Koloamatanagi share the story of their youth-led parish based programme that maps families’ needs in case of emergency to enable swift and effective support to avert deaths across the four Tongatapu parishes.

Moana: Water of Life 2 Talanoa session six 

→ 05.02 (1hr 59 min) Rev. Tamsyn Kereopa, Archbishop Julio Murray, Dr. Emily Colgan and Rev. Matia Dari share their reflections on the ideas shared at the Moana Water of Life Talanoa followed by questions and comments from the floor.

Moana: Water of Life 2 Closing Festival Eucharist

Festival Eucharist celebrating the gifts of God in Creation, lamenting and leading to hope for the moana and te earth, through Indigenous and Pasifika song, dance and liturgical expressions of the peoples of the Pacific Anglican Church.

Take action in Aotearoa
Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand have a unique chance to take immediate action on climate justice this week. Common Grace Aotearoa has prepared an online submissions form that makes it easy for individuals to make a submission on the New Zealand Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan, which is under review by the National-ACT-NZ First Government. Common Grace is encouraging churches to back their “Don’t subsidise pollution” campaign calling for an end to Government handouts for big polluters.

Make your submission now or bring it to church this Sunday to multiply your impact.