This week the Christian World Service (CWS) Board underscored its intentional shift towards Pacific nations and climate-related development with the election of Anglican Board member, Tonga-based Pacific strategist Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi as its new Board Chair.

Fe'iloakitau brings significant experience as an economic and political strategist for Pacific nations into the next phase of work for CWS, Aotearoa New Zealand's longest-standing ecumenical justice, aid and development agency.  

As well as serving as a former General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches,  Fe'iloakitau  worked for the World Council of Churches based in Geneva, Switzerland and now works at the Kingdom of Tonga's Palace Office as the Director for the National Identity Card Office of His Majesty's Government. He is also a strategic advisor to Archbishop Sione Ulu'ilakepa. 

"The Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia is particularly concerned about the critical role that CWS plays in raising awareness on salient issues that affect our region as a whole." Fe'iloakitau said today. 

"In accepting the position, I would like to think that it is not just myself, but the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia that is taking up an enhanced role in the leadership of this esteemed institution in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region."   

While CWS has long-since funded local communities' projects to build sustainable lives and have a say in matters that affect them, including those living in conflict and natural disaster zones, Fe'iloakitau Tevi says that right now it's time to listen to Pacific communities' needs.

With rising urgency for our churches' response to human need in the face of climate change, he also believes it is timely to actively resource Pacific partners as they build up resilience with technologies and strategies to survive climate change impacts like extreme weather and rising seas. 

"Aotearoa New Zealand is part of the Pacific region and as such Christian World Service, as the Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Churches of Christ and Quaker shared agency has a critical role to play in keeping the Pacific region's environment  stewardship issues at the core of these churches' social justice and advocacy agenda."

Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi follows on from outgoing CWS Chair Jill Hawkey, former Deputy General Secretary of the worldwide Action of Churches Together (ACT) Alliance, who is now Executive Director of the Christchurch Methodist Mission. 

"As Christian World Service pivots towards a greater focus on Pacific nations, it is great to be welcoming Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi as the new Chairperson from the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and with his long history of working on development issues within the ecumenical movement." she said today.

This year the Christian World Service Christmas Appeal leads the Pacific pivot, focusing on supporting food security through gardening projects that mitigate the impact of climate change in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Donate to the CWS 2024 Christmas Appeal here.

Since December 1945 when Archbishop Campbell West-Watson launched the first Christmas Appeal for overseas relief in post-war Greece, Christian World Service has served as a shared aid and development agency for Aotearoa's mainline churches. Today CWS is an official aid and development agency of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, the Methodist Church of New Zealand, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Christian Churches New Zealand and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).