Last year General Synod committed itself to a “Decade of Mission," which will officially kick off in Advent this year and run to Advent 2025.

But Manawa o Te Wheke is not waiting till November 29 to act.

It has just wound up its annual summer school at the Amorangi Centre in Holdens Bay, on the shore of Lake Rotorua, where it devoted 11 sessions of its four-day kura to discipleship and evangelism.

Led by the manutaki (principal) of the Amorangi Wananga, the Rev Dr Rangi Nicholson, the amorangi team of missioners (Ven Dr Te Waaka Melbourne, Rev Dr Peter Wensor, Canon Bill Tuhiwai and Rev Ngira Simmonds) lectured and listened as the 100-strong kura chewed over how to evangelise and grow disciples in a tuturu Maori way – through manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.

Sessions covered How do we listen to God? How do we take care of the sheep? How do we step out in faith? How do we grow the fruit of the Spirit? How can our tikanga promote evangelism? And how can we build partnerships for evangelism? – all designed to help minita-a-iwi grow their congregations.

Reshaping for growth

In his opening charge, Bishop Ngarahu Katene announced plans to reshape the amorangi in favour of a flat structure, under the bishop, focussed on mission.

Over the next six months, the existing MOTW archdeaconry setup will quietly disappear as archdeacons move into missioner roles (as Sonny Melbourne has done) or other ministry roles.

The emphasis, said Bishop Ngarahu, needs to be on growing vibrant congregations in the rohe, rather than focusing on occasional large amorangi gatherings.

To mark the change, the kura gave thanks for the ministry of each of the previous archdeacons. Bishop Ngarahu collated each as an Archdeacon Emeritus in Te Manawa o Te Wheke.

The kura also welcomed a guest – Olivia Maxfield-Coote, who is a Church of England ordinand studying at Westcott House in Cambridge.

Olivia, who will be ordained to the diaconate midway through this year, is on an eight-week placement in Te Manawa o Te Wheke.

She is being hosted by the Waikato Mission Unit. and by their Missioner, the Rev Ngira Simmonds, and his wife Hinekura.

Olivia and Ngira were both stewards at the 2008 Lambeth Conference, and that worldwide network of 2008 Lambeth stewards continues to support one another.

During her stay in Aotearoa, Olivia is taking part in the ministry of Hemi Tapu (St James) Hamilton, where Ngira has just been installed as missioner.