Presbyterian Church, General Assembly, October 2008

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church endorsed the Statement on Religious Diversity at its meeting in Silverstream from 2-6 October.   Outgoing Moderator the Very Rev Pamela Tankersley introduced the motion and spoke of the religious intolerance she had observed during her Moderatorial travels.  Those speaking in favour of the motion mentioned the importance of respect, and of hospitality to strangers. During debate, there was discussion as to whether the statement might preclude evangelism, but this is not the case.   Presbyterians now join Methodists, Catholics and Anglicans in having endorsed the statement.  Together these four churches make up around 1.5 million of the 2 million Christians in New Zealand.  The Statement has also been endorsed by the national bodies of the Jewish, Muslim and Baha’i faiths as well as other faith and interfaith groups.

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