Discovering

1. Discovering New Zealand’s Christian Heritage

2. Timeline of New Zealand history New Zealand was brought to the attention of the ‘world’ by Captain Cook and by the end of the 1700s other nations came to chart and explore. 1808-1814 Maori movers of the mission to New Zealand: TePahi, HongiHika but most of all Ruatara – these and two other chiefs escorted Marsden on his first trip 1805 onwards There would have been no mission to NZ without the Rev Samuel Marsden. He was the driving force behind it and a great champion of the Maori Finally after a decade was able to begin the mission to New Zealand. The first sermon was preached on NZ soil 25th December 1814. Up until his death in 1938 he made seven trips to New Zealand. He was well known and loved and his final trip just before he died was an emotional journey as he saw the fruit of his efforts and was farewelled by Maori Maori began leaving New Zealand to explore the world. Men as sailors, women as ‘wives’ and became regular visitors in increasing numbers to Port Jackson Australia. Most made their way to Samuel Marsden’s home at Paramatta. He built accommodation for them, feed and trained them. He operated a school for the sons of the chiefs 1801 - 1814 Increasing numbers of people from the northern hemisphere came to visit: Adventurers/explorers Whalers/sealers Traders/merchants They came from far afield – countries like Britain, France, America, Russia, Austria and their ships regularly visited for whale oil, seal skins, wood for ships spars 1770 onwards

3. The champion of the mission to NZ was Rev Samuel Marsden Marsden preached on Christmas Day 1814 from this Bible passage: Behold I bring glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto to all people – Luke 2:10 They sang a favourite hymn of the time based upon Psalm 100 ‘The Old 100th’

4. Timeline of New Zealand history Up till 1840 New Zealand was brought to the attention of the ‘world’ by Captain Cook and by the end of the 1700s was regularly visited by ships for whale oil, seal skins, wood for ships spars By 1840 missionaries had been living in New Zealand for 26 years. Their role encompassed being peacemakers, doctors, farmers, builders and educators -they had literally transformed the landscape around the areas that had mission stations and encouraged Maori communities into agriculture helping them purchase flour mills and printing presses of their own. The missionaries mastered the Maori language and translated significant parts of the Bible into Maori which were printed and distributed widely. Some Maori were taught to read and they in turn taught each other and this ability spread rapidly down the country. Bible tracts were treasured and avidly read. 1805-1835 1808-1814 1805 onwards Most people don’t realise that throughout most of the early years of the mission New Zealand was a land at war as ferocious inter-tribal wars were fought and whole regions had the populations either displaced or annihilated. Some missionaries travelled with the war parties pleading for peaceful resolution to the centuries long vendettas. After 25 years of constant turmoil Maori were tired of the fighting and wanted change. By this time access to the Bible had brought whole communities to Christ. There would have been no mission to NZ without the Rev Samuel Marsden. He was the driving force behind it and a great champion of the Maori Finally after a decade was able to begin the mission to New Zealand. The first sermon was preached on NZ soil 25th December 1814. Up until his death in 1938 he made seven trips to New Zealand. He was well known and loved and his final trip just before he died was an emotional journey as he saw the fruit of his efforts and was farewelled by Maori Maori began leaving New Zealand to explore the world. Men as sailors, women as ‘wives’ and became regular visitors in increasing numbers to Port Jackson Australia. Most made their way to Samuel Marsden’s home at Paramatta. He built accommodation for them, feed and trained them. He operated a school for the sons of the chiefs 1801 - 1814 Increasing numbers of people from the northern hemisphere came to visit: Adventurers/explorers Whalers/sealers Traders/merchants Came from far afield – countries like Britain, France, America, Russia, Austria 1770 onwards

5. Missionary Hall of Faith • The earliest days of the mission from 1814-1840 were the most challenging. • Everything had to be built from scratch • Land cleared so food could be grown- a mammoth task Mission stations that had been established by 1842 by CMS mission: KaitaiaMr. James Matthews and Mr. William PuckeyWhangaroaMr. James Shepherd Tepuna Mr. John King Kerikeri Mr. James Kemp Waimate Rev. Richard Taylor Mr. George Clarke and Mr. Richard Davis (40)Paihia Rev. Henry Williams KororarekaRev. R. Burrows Maraetai Mr. William T. Fairburn Hauraki Mr. --. PreeceOrua Mr. J. Hamlin Waikato Rev. Robert MaunsellKaitotohe Mr. Benjamin AshwellOtawhao Mr. John Morgan (33)Rotorua Mr. Thomas Chapman Tauranga Rev. Arthur N. Brown Opotiki Mr. John Wilson Waiapu Mr. James Stack Uawa Mr. C Baker Turanga Rev. William Williams WhanganuiRev. J. Mason Waikanae and OtakiRev. Octavius Hadfield Many missionaries traversed New Zealand on foot through hundreds of miles of dense bush and never ending swamps and streams sharing the gospel, pleading for an end of warfare and for tribes to make peace and treating the sick. Rev Henry Williams sharing the Gospel Rev Thomas Chapman Rev John Morgan Rev Henry Williams Rev William Williams Rev Robert Maunsell Rev Octavius Hatfield Watercolour of the early Paihia Mission Station Rev Richard Taylor Rev Arthur Brown

6. Timeline of New Zealand history After 1840 By the time the Treaty of Waitangi was signed many Maori had had years of contact with Europeans, many were fluent in English and it is estimated that up to 50% had some degree of literacy. Though missionary endeavours continued to be very successful especially through the 1850s which was a golden era for many Maori. Unfortunately changes were coming with the setting up of a colonial government. Very different type of people began to arrive. People who lacked any interest in the well being Maori. The Bible had enormous impact on Maori and they were a people transformed. By 1850 it was estimated that 50% of Maori had embraced Christianity. New Zealand was brought to the attention of the ‘world’ by Captain Cook and by the end of the 1700s was regularly visited by ships for whale oil, seal skins, wood for ships spars Up till 1840 By 1840 missionaries had been living in New Zealand for 26 years. Their role encompassed being peacemakers, doctors, farmers, builders and educators -they had literally transformed the landscape around the areas that had mission stations and encouraged Maori communities into agriculture helping them purchase flour mills and printing presses of their own. The missionaries mastered the Maori language and translated significant parts of the Bible into Maori which were printed and distributed widely. Some Maori were taught to read and they in turn taught each other and this ability spread rapidly down the country. Bible tracts were treasured and avidly read. 1805-1835 1808-1814 1805 onwards There would have been no mission to NZ without the Rev Samuel Marsden. He was the driving force behind it and a great champion of the Maori Finally after a decade was able to begin the mission to New Zealand. The first sermon was preached on NZ soil 25th December 1814. Up until his death in 1938 he made seven trips to New Zealand. He was well known and loved and his final trip just before he died was an emotional journey as he saw the fruit of his efforts and was farewelled by Maori Most people don’t realise that throughout most of the early years of the mission New Zealand was a land at war as ferocious inter-tribal wars were fought and whole regions had the populations either displaced or annihilated. Some missionaries travelled with the war parties pleading for peaceful resolution to the centuries long vendettas. After 25 years of constant turmoil Maori were tired of the fighting and wanted change. By this time access to the Bible had brought whole communities to Christ. Maori began leaving New Zealand to explore the world. Men as sailors, women as ‘wives’ and became regular visitors in increasing numbers to Port Jackson Australia. Most made their way to Samuel Marsden’s home at Paramatta. He built accommodation for them, feed and trained them. He operated a school for the sons of the chiefs 1801 - 1814 Increasing numbers of people from the northern hemisphere came to visit: Adventurers/explorers Whalers/sealers Traders/merchants Came from far afield – countries like Britain, France, America, Russia, Austria 1770 onwards

7. The amazing impact of the Bible • Maori embraced literacy • So captivated were they by the concept that they went to great lengths to acquire the ability to read and write travelling hundreds of miles up to the Bay of Islands to do so. • Bible tracts were avidly sought and endlessly read. • On October 19, 1836, at the Wairere Falls, a raiding party killed the 12-year-old girl and took the treasured object from under her pillow. • Later, unable to read, the Rotorua chief discarded it until a slave boy came along who had learned to read, and he revealed its contents to his fascinated listeners. The Rotorua chief himself was convicted by its contents and resolved to become a Christian. He also resolved to seek out the father of the murdered girl and beg for his forgiveness. • But the story doesn’t end there for the slave boy eventually returned to his own tribe with the battered Gospel of Luke where the son of TeRauparaha’s, one of New Zealand’s fiercest warrior chiefs, wanted to know what was written. Ripahau taught TeKatuTeRauparaha and his cousin to read. So captivated were they by what they read they immediately set out to meet with Rev Henry Williams and were baptised becoming a zealous evangelists. Pictured here is a Wanganui Maori chief Hipengo who had found a single leaf of the Church Catechism which he had picked up containing the Ten Commandments. He found someone who had been at a missionary school to read it to him. Then he and his people cast away their images and were worshipping the one God, keeping the seventh day, and obeying the other Commandments, without ever having seen a missionary.

8. Never Give In – Winston Churchill • “One of the signs of a great society is the diligence with which it passes culture from one generation to the next. • This culture is the embodiment of everything that people of that society hold dear: its religious faith, its heroes. • Then one generation no longer esteems its own heritage and fails to pass the torch to its children…society loses its way. • When this happens it is time for leaders to arise who have not forgotten the discarded legacy to be the voice of that lost generation calling it back to the faith of their fathers, back to the ancient foundations and the bedrock values…”

9. The ancient landmarks of New Zealand The historical foundations of this nation The laws The constitution The Christian heritage The founding values

10. The Hope Project is a wakeup call for the Christians of this nation To go back to our roots and reclaim the Christian heritage of New Zealand to become people of God’s Word with a living hope. A reminder that the Word of God is powerful – it transform lives. The Bible long ago transformed the Maori people bringing them out of darkness into the light of the knowledge of God and produced a generation of extraordinary Christians. New Zealand remained a nation whose framework was Christian up until the 1960s since then there has been a deliberate move away from sound values and our Christians heritage has been discounted and in some cases is now hidden. Let this 200th anniversary of the arrival of the New Zealand mission be the dawning of a new era in New Zealand where our nation the knowledge of God and the missionary endeavours are restored to their proper place. Where once again the Word of God has the power to transform and restore hope to the lives of New Zealanders again.