Whakawhānui Kaiārahi Hui 2009 by David Moko

Topic: Whakawhānui Kaiārahi Hui 2009 by David Moko

Topic Type: Event

Our second Baptist Maori Ministries national hui, called ‘Whakawhānui Kaiārahi' (Leadership Development), was held at Moerewa Christian Fellowship Waipuna Centre, 24-26 July 2009. The first was on Rongomaraeroa o nga hau e wha Marae in Waiouru in 2008. These hui have been a highlight for me since beginning in my role as Kaihautu for BMM in August 2007.

This year's hui in Tai Tokerau was a significant coming together of iwi, hapū and denominations. Our Ngāpuhi hosts' incredible hospitality made us feel welcome and at home on Ngati Hine whenua (land).

We came together around several themes, which mainly Māori speakers presented to us. Different Māori facilitators then reflected each theme throughout the hui. This process engaged participation from all. The younger generation brought to the dialogue enthusiasm, realism, honesty, openness and vulnerable respect towards their parents' generation and those before them. The older generation brought the stories and experiences with God to light, seasoned with wisdom and humility that connected the past with the present.

Young and old conversed in Te Reo (Māori language) and English about being Māori and Christian today, and talked together about what the future would look like. The rhetoric around predominately non-Māori church experiences raised a number of issues in the context of this conversation that was hurtful and tearful at times. The conclusion was that it is the institution of church that most wanted to avoid, not the church itself (the people).

The connectedness through whakapapa (tribal genealogy) is always a wonderful piece of God's work to watch unfold at any Māori hui. Some who've met for the first time realise they are close or distant relatives, whether they were brought up in, lived at some point in, or perhaps visited their ancestral iwi rohe (tribal area), or were raised within an urban environment. The authenticity and seriousness of the moment followed by the usual hilarity fascinates me as a Maori Christian.

This intrinsic sense of belonging to others and a geographical area was placed there long before we (Māori) became Christians or started going to a church. It supersedes our denominational affiliations. This amazing truth in inherent tradition, naturally and commonly practiced, is connectedness through who and how God made us as people outside the denomination walls too. I don't think God is alarmed at that, or His heart skips a beat or His blood pressure rises. Perhaps He's learnt to live with the way we Maori are? Ecc 7: 13 consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked.

Sin in all its forms is the only thing that separates us from God yet He's given us a way back to Him through faith in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Someone once said to me, "Māori can only find their real identity once they truly become born again". Well no doubt the light is switched on then. Genesis 1 says, "We are made in His image". No identity crisis there. The psalmist David's intimate pictures and poetic words through Psalm 139 remind us of God's presence from conception - and He never leaves us and nothing can separate us from His Love.

Nothing can separate humour from these sorts of gatherings; even when things are supposed to be serious we just can't help it. The presentations and reflections were full of humorous banter. Funnily enough (excuse the pun), it created a relaxed space for spontaneous responses to God, either in individual or corporate dedication, reaffirming or adjusting one's commitment to God, honouring and listening to each other, and Spirit inspired worship.

There was a solemn period when everything within us praised God through ‘haka', firstly toward the centre of our circled gathering, symbolic of where we see Jesus. Then we continued with the haka, this time facing towards each of the four compass points, representing northern, eastern, southern and western iwi/hapū.

The haka preceded the Karanga (call) from our women, followed collectively as one voice crying to the Lord for each iwi, hapū and whanau represented at this hui and beyond, as the Spirit led us. A moment passed, then one of our young leaders speaking in Te Reo Maori spoke on all our behalf to Ngāpuhi represented there. He honoured them for being the first iwi to receive the gospel and being conduits for the gospel to all iwi in Aotearoa - a powerful spontaneous time being together in the presence of God.

There is much whakāro (thought) I've come away with to plan for future leadership development hui. The younger adults want something in about six months we'll work with them through debriefing reflection gatherings to find a way for this to happen. Us older adults think twelve months is too soon (just kidding). We had leaders there living in Tainui (Waikato) and Poneke (Wellington) vying to host the 2010 hui (watch the pop ups on this). This clearly shows us there is real momentum for Māori Christian leadership development, with versions of what we experienced in Moerewa worth considering, albeit strengthening our connectedness in whom we are, not what we do.

For me this hui has reinforced the notion that it's okay to be Māori and Christian, in and out of church, even if the church experience is somewhat blurred. I feel it's our responsibility as Christian leaders to develop the conversation and processes around belonging first then believing, and eventually behaviour changes will happen. This should be the starting point of our preparedness when reaching Māori with the gospel and discipling them, whether in a church context or not. Some are doing this already, exceptionally well, and we need to learn from them, get them out among our churches, community groups and ministries. Because I suspect this conversation is not only a Māori process - truth applied well sets all people free.