Housing or Care of Creation?

Submitted by a parishioner of St Peter's Anglican Church on Saturday September 11 2021.

The content of this post may not necessarily reflect the policies, theologies or opinions of St Peter's Anglican Church, Palmerston North.

Housing vs Care of Creation

Following a Consultation, parishioners of St Julian of Norwich Anglican Church are anxiously awaiting to hear back from the Vestry Subcommitee via the Wardens which would answer the question on everyone's lips: will the large section of land behind their Church containing a community garden, labyrinth and a safe area for children to play remain as such or be turned into social housing? With exactly 50% of the Parish wanting to maintain the status quo and the other 50% wanting housing, how will this be resolved?

A letter from the Church Wardens of the Parish of St Julian of Norwich to all parishioners.

Dearly beloved in Christ

Using our Anglican Theological Method to reflect on Housing and Creation

Thank you all for your submissions in response to our first Parish Consultation regarding our land behind our church which we affectionately know as God’s Acre. Inspired by a story in year’s Lenten Study “Housing Ruins”, about what a parish had achieved to alleviate a housing crisis in Naenae, our discussion turned to whether we could do similar with our own land. Our Vestry subcommittee noticed that exactly half of the submissions favoured turning this into housing, the remainder favoured maintaining God’s Acres as a green space. Our Vicars Fr Wiremu and Mater Ambrose discerned that whilst all presented arguments were valid, there was very little evidence of theological reflection taking place, especially within our unique Anglican method. Since we are a Church, we need to examine this method which will explain our ecclesiology and our mission.

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