By Gillian Vine.
Research by a Dunedin minister will show how culture and ethnicity affect congregations within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Rev Tokerau Joseph, of First Church, is examining the extent to which ethnicity and culture affect how people choose which parish to belong to and the degree of their participation. “My research may challenge just how multicultural we are in the Presbyterian Church,” he says.
One thing that has made it “tricky” is the lack of statistics. “Presbyterian Church records don’t have ethnicity, so we don’t know how many Pacific Islanders, how many Asians we have,” Tokerau says.
“The development of the different ethnic groupings (European, Maori, Asian, and Pacific Islanders) within the life of the Presbyterian Church has mainly been homogenous. Although there have been individuals or groups that have engaged and interacted across cultural and religious lines among the different groups, most people have chosen to remain and participate within their own groups,” he says.
Tokerau’s decision to undertake the research was triggered by work in his previous parish, Otara PIC, in South Auckland. The Otara parish has three congregations – Cook Island, Niuean and Samoan – each effectively with its own minister but Tokerau, a Cook Islander who came to New Zealand when he was five, saw himself as ministering to all three. Also having an influence on his choice for his PhD thesis was his master’s research, which looked at the reasons young Cook Islanders were leaving Cook Island congregations within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Tokerau is examining four ethnic groups – European, Maori, Pacific Islanders and Asians – “bearing in mind there are specific ethnic identities within those groups”. “I do mean ethnic groups in the broadest sense,” he says.
Questionnaires will be distributed and in-depth interviews conducted in Te Aka Puaho and the presbyteries of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. “The reason [for selecting these presbyteries] is because they are the main areas where Asians and Pacific Islanders are concentrated,” Tokerau explains, adding that Te Aka Puaho has been chosen as it has the highest level of Maori participation within the Presbyterian Church.
Two hundred parishioners and 70 ministers – “but I have a feeling it may go up to 80 ministers” – will be asked to fill out questionnaires. The second strand of the work will involve in-depth interviews with 20 parishioners and some 16 ministers, while the third component is gathering material from parishes.
Of Presbyterian ministers, he says: “my suspicion is that they are more comfortable working among their own people, although New Zealand is becoming more and more diverse.”
He sees lay people as tending to continue to express culture and customs through their church involvement. “In this research, the finding may be that language is the core cultural value and people choose a congregation where their language is spoken.”
He also hopes his research will show whether that is confined to people born overseas or whether it extends to their children. “And what about a [multi-ethnic] Pacific Island church with only one minister? What are the dynamics involved in that situation?” he asks.
“I think it’s a challenge to have to look at making relationships work not only at a church level but also at different levels of understanding of people,” Mr Joseph says. “And I’m hoping it will be some sort of resource for the Church.”
He admits juggling full-time study with a heavy workload at First Church is “a lot of work” but is upbeat, his only concern being that presbyteries, parishes and individuals will recognise the value of what he is doing and wholeheartedly support him.