Here's the question - and let me tell you that there's an all-expenses paid ski trip* on offer for the correct answer. What is the scariest verse in the Bible for a minister?
Answer in the next day or two.
(Judges decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into).
*all-expenses does not cover air fares, transfers, lift passes, equipment hire, transport, meals, but does include accommodation (only).
The Warden of Latimer Fellowship, Rev. Malcolm Faloon, has declared a moratorium on overseas speakers to conferences and for any events with which Latimer Fellowship is connected. In an interview Christchurch priest Malcolm Falloon spoke about the problems associated with inviting overseas “specialists”. He said the issue had polarised the church.
"There are New Zealand-born leaders here, both liberal and conservative, who could have done the job. I think it is a failure of the church in honouring our home-grown leaders."
Strong support soon followed the announcement. Latimer Fellowship shares its offices with a missionary society which will meet today to discuss the suggestion of withdrawing all its manpower from overseas. The society is assuring members that funding of poorer nations will continue in any case. Parishes are also responding to the challenge of no longer inviting overseas speakers to preach or run parish missions.
A priest who was a New Zealander who had worked in the same parish for the past 20 years and was responsible for building a multithousand-dollar church, Canterbury Archdeacon Mike Hawke said "What is it about New Zealand culture that overlooks the local with the good track record, in favour of someone who knows sweet little."
"When you have someone coming from a completely different culture they are going to have to spend time immersing themselves in New Zealand culture and I'm not sure we have got that much time."
A vicar who declined to be named added overseas clergy often do not understand our local approach of openness. “Many overseas clergy are still stuck in valuing confidentiality and discretion. They are unaware of instant communication available to all on the Internet. We live in a world of modern communications systems, which the Church must surely recognise. Young people live their lives publicly on Bebo and Facebook and growing churches with young people are conscious that keeping secrets is a bad thing.” The vicar reminded us that Jesus himself taught “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”
