On Sunday 17 November, we'll have a panel of Christians in politics unpacking the interaction between their faith, the issues they care about and their life and decisions in central and local government. This is not to be missed!

We'll hear from:

Rachel Boyack - Labour MP for Nelson

Before entering Parliament, Rachel worked for the Angican Diocese of Nelson, and as an Organiser with FIRST Union.

Some of Rachel’s priorities are: “Affordable housing for first-home buyers and families, Improving Mental Health services, Better public transport, Preserving our environment; and Working closely with [our two] Councils to address Climate Change.”

Francisco Hernandez - Green MP

Before entering Parliament, Francisco’s public service career included stints at the Climate Change Commission, ACC, and the Tertiary Education Commission.

“Fran is passionate about standing up for public services, protecting the role of tertiary education as a public good, and supporting emergency management and response work to protect people and nature from climate change and other natural disasters.”

Lawrence Kirby - Kāpiti Coast Deputy Mayor

Lawrence is both the Deputy Mayor of Kāpiti Coast and a Senior Minister at Kāpiti Impact Church. He has a wealth of experience in non-profit organization management and community-led development.

Committee and Sub-Committee responsibilities in Council include: Strategy, Operations and Finance Committees, Chief Executive Performance & Employment, & Social Sustainability.

On Sunday 17 November, after the Christians in Politics panel, we'll be diving into a conversation about peace and justice in the Holy Land. We are excited to be hosting this session alongside Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine.

Our speakers include:

Katrina Mitchell-Kouttab

Katrina is a born-and-raised Palestinian Christian activist who now lives in Aotearoa, and a powerful and relentless voice in the call for peace and justice for Palestine.

Katrina has been involved in advocacy work in Egypt, France, Australia and Aotearoa. Her work is instrumental in calling the New Zealand Government to account to live up to its international legal and humanitarian obligations when it comes to Palestine.

Katrina will be joining us via a pre-recorded interview to share her in-depth experience & knowledge, and to challenge us to respond faithfully as global citizens.

Andrew Clark-Howard

Andrew Clark-Howard is a PhD candidate at Charles Sturt University, who also puts his hands, feet, and voice to community organising.

His academic work has focused on the ways in which theological beliefs underpin political structures and practices, particularly as it relates to the ongoing entanglements of Christianity and settler colonialism. He also helps run Metanoia, an online platform and in-person community focused on issues of life and faith in Aotearoa

Andrew will be helping us to dive into critiquing the theology of Christian zionism, and how we can frame our understanding of Israel in the bible with the history of Palestinian Christians and a lens of solidarity for the oppressed.

We are also working on more elements to go with this session as we speak!

On Saturday 16 November, Hana will speak to what the church honouring Te Tiriti looks like at this time, drawing on the example of the Salvation Army Te Ope Whakaora’s journey to embed Te Tiriti-based leadership, and considering what lessons that might offer for our nationwide journey.

She will also discuss how she sees God’s spirit at work in the church around treaty issues, and how the church might best respond to this political moment.

Captain Hana Seddon (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi te Rangi) is a Salvation Army officer, leading the church and social services in Rotorua. A social worker by trade, she has a passion for education, social justice and public health leadership.

Hana is studying, with a focus on theologies from Indigenous perspectives, and often facilitates conversations around Tiriti-based leadership in faith communities.

On Saturday morning, 16 November, Michael will be kicking us off with a theological framing for why advocating for justice is a Christian Vocation. We are really looking forward to diving into this together.

Michael Toy hails from Texas, though now he and his Kiwi partner, Nadine, call Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington home.

He received an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, and is currently a PhD candidate in Religious Studies at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington exploring the theo-politics of digitality among minority Christian groups in Aotearoa.

On Saturday morning, 16 November, Fala and Olivia, who are already deeply connected to each other through this mahi of climate justice, will be helping us grow in our understanding, responses, and resilience in this area of climate justice.

Fala Haulangi (QSM), a Tuvaluan, is a union organiser, advocate and broadcaster who migrated to Aotearoa from Nauru with her parents and siblings. Fala works for E tū Union, where she advocates strongly for all workers, especially Pasifika and migrant members, and for the living wage, fair pay agreements, equal pay and climate justice. She is also a board member of the Migrant Action Trust in Auckland, a Trustee of Whau Pasifika Trust, and involved in many other community and climate related actions.

Fala will be sharing about the climate challenges of Tuvalu and how people on her island are responding, the role Christian faith plays in activism, what solidarity looks like, and how to keep resilience and hope in this journey.

Dr Olivia Yates is a Pākehā who works as a climate change policy and advocacy advisor at World Vision New Zealand. Following completion of her PhD in Psychology, her research and advocacy centre on climate justice with and for the Pacific, where she draws on community psychology principles to work towards systems change.

Olivia will be sharing from her role at World Vision NZ as a climate change policy and advocacy advisor, from her PhD research, and from her experience working closely with Tuvaluan and i-Kiribati communities to call for fair legal responses to climate related migration.

On Friday night 15 November, we will have the incredible opportunity to hear from Adrian Leason about his role, alongside other Ploughshares activists, in sabotaging the dome of the Waihopai spy-satellite as a protest against New Zealand's part in the invasion of Iraq as part of the ‘Five Eyes’ network.

Adi is an incredible storyteller, as well as part of the Catholic Workers movement, a teacher and community worker. This gripping story of Christian activism is one you don't want to miss!

On Saturday afternoon,16 November - we have five incredible workshops lined up.

You will be able to choose two to go to. 

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Workshop One

Anna Cusack is Pākehā (Irish/Scottish) and works as the Advocacy and Policy Manager for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand. She has a background in student activism, law and NGO mahi.

In this workshop Anna will speak about research and relationship-based insider advocacy.

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Workshop Two

Fala Haulangi (QSM), a Tuvaluan, is a union organiser, advocate and broadcaster. She works for E tū Union, where she advocates strongly for all workers, especially Pasifika and migrant members, and for the living wage, fair pay agreements, equal pay and climate justice.

In this workshop Fala will speak about current worker struggles and the role of unions.

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Workshop Three

Adam Currie (tauiwi) is the campaigner for 350 Aotearoa; formerly of Greenpeace. He has worked as a climate campaigner ever since a climate-fuelled storm sent waves crashing into his community and his whānau developed asthma from car pollution.

In this workshop, Adam will share about a Christian calling to non-violent direct action (NVDA).

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Workshop Four

Rev. Silvia Purdie is a counsellor, supervisor and Presbyterian minister, based in Upper Hutt - and in the Common Grace climate team.

She is in the process of founding a national network for climate mental health. In this workshop Silvia will share tools for keeping yourself emotionally and spiritually well through the challenges of climate crisis and action.

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Workshop Five

Kate Day (Pākehā) is Co-Director of Common Grace Aotearoa and Andrew Clark-Howard (Pākehā) co-facilitates the Common Grace Treaty team in Tāmaki.

In this workshop they will share tools they have found useful for communicating about the Treaty and countering misinformation.

On Saturday 16 November, Kate Day (Pākehā) and Alex Johnston (Pākehā), Co-Directors of Common Grace Aotearoa, will be sharing an introduction to Common Grace Aotearoa campaigns, as well as giving us practical ways we can respond to the Treaty Principles Bill.

Before Common Grace, Alex led Oxfam campaigns on climate change, overseas aid, vaccine equity, and refugee rights, and Kate mobilised hundreds of Anglicans to advocate in campaigns on climate change, overseas aid, and housing. Over the years they have both been involved in a variety of successful campaigns, including for Common Grace Aotearoa.