Re-politicising Race: The Anglican Church in New Zealand

Abstract

In 1992, the Anglican Church in New Zealand changed its constitutional structure to divide itself into three racially based organisations: Maori, Pakeha (white) and Polynesian. The change to its constitution raises many issues. Why would the dominant church, with an ideology rooted in the primacy of religious belief and in values based on a common humanity, agree to split itself in this way? At a time when the re-construction and re-politicisation of ethnic boundaries for political purposes was causing horrendous conflicts around the world, what theological or other arguments could persuade the Anglican leadership to subscribe to an ideology which prioritises race as a constitutional distinction in church membership? The 1992 Constitution of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is so sharply at odds with the traditional ideology and practice of the Church that it requires explanation.