Missionary Month at Gate Pa - Knowing our story
Gate Pa – Easter 6; 25th May
2014
Readings:
Psalm: 66:8-20
First Reading: Acts
17:22-31
Second Reading: 1 Peter
3:13-22
Gospel: John
14:15-21
What I want to say:
When we think of missionary
in this context we often, maybe usually think of English men and women bringing
the gospel to Maori. But like Paul who had inside knowledge (He grew up in the Greek
world and Luke reports he had some knowledge of Greek philosophical thinking) European
missionaries in this country had inside help – Maori who either took the gospel
home with them when released from slavery up near Kerikeri, or who worked with
the misisonaires. Today we will look at two: Ihaia Te Ahu, Missionary and
Priest in Te Arawa who we remember on May 13; and Piripi Taumata-a-kura Missionary
in Ngati Porou who we remember on May 15.
What I want to happen:
I will invite people to consider what these stories offer us
today
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
what words come to mind when you hear the word
“missionary”?
what about missionary in New Zealand context?
In our church calenday we remember a number of
Maori who played significant roles in spread of gospel, establishing Agnlican
Church, worked for establishment of our country
too often remain unknown to us
some those already know something about
Henare
Wiremu Taratoa
Heni
te Kiri Karamu
Might know
Ruatara
Rota Waitoa - The first Maori ordained in New Zealand
Frederick
Augustus Bennett - The first Maori Bishop
wonder if we know
about:
Wiremu
Tamihana - Prophet, Kingmaker
Ngakuku missionary in Oporotki area and father of Tarore
Te Wera
Hauraki - Missionary in Ngati
Kahungunu
Kereopa and
Manihera of Taranaki - Martyrs at Turangi
talk about two
Piripi Taumata-a-kura - Missionary in Ngati Porou
Ihaia Te Ahu - Missionary, Priest in Te Arawa
2. Piripi Taumata-a-kura - Missionary in Ngati Porou
in
1837 group Nga Puhi chiefs went visit to east coast
when
returned one went see William Williams – brother henry williams
future fist bishop Waiapu Diocese
asked
why no European missionaries on East Coast
especially since already meeting regularly
for Christian worship and doing no work on Sunday
Taumata-a-kura had
been born at Whakawhitira near the Waiapu River, half way btwn titktiki and Ruatoria
probably before 1800.
When Nga Puhi raided
Waiapu in 1823, he was taken to the Bay of Islands as a captive.
He learned to read and
write at the mission school in Waimate, though he was not baptised there, and
did not seem very interested in Christianity at the time. William Williams
arranged for the return of the East Coast Maori to their home at the end of
1833 – returned home
Back at Whakawhitira, Taumata-a-kura worked hard to pass on what he had
learned.
He taught and preached and used some short prayers and hymns and some
biblical texts written on scraps of paper, which were greatly venerated by the
people.
according to Ngati Porou tradition he began his teaching, , at Te
Ahikoareare pa at Whakawhitira. A large assembly house was put up for his use.
He used to begin his meetings by saying, “I have come from Keri Keri and from
Paihia and I have seen Williams of the four eyes” (a reference to Henry
Williams, who wore spectacles).
So great was his commitment to what he had been taught that he persuaded
his people not to work on Saturdays as well as Sundays, and sometimes people
sat still for the entire two days.
1836 - greatly enhanced his influence
during a tribal feud between Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui He
agreed to take part only if there was no cannibalism and no wanton destruction
of canoes or crops. This code of conduct was agreed to,
Taumata-a-kura led the Ngati Porou forces in the Bay of Plenty with his
musket in one hand and New Testament in the other. The fact that he was not hit
only served to increase his mana.
Taumata-a-kura’s restraint left a strong impression on his opponents and
did much to establish the virtual legend surrounding his work. About this time
he took the name Piripi (Philip), and may have been baptised before returning
to Waiapu.
When missionaries eventually came to the Waiapu area, it was obvious that
Taumata-a-kura had already established the influence of the gospel.
It was as a result of this and of Taumata-a-kura’s work around Waiapu
that the Nga Puhi chief reported to William Williams.
Williams and others duly visited the area in 1838, and nine more young
Maori were trained at Paihia to carry on Taumata-a-kura’s work.
Raniera Kawhia was one of those who first heard the gospel from Piripi
Taumata-a-kura. He was later ordained deacon by Bishop Williams on 17 February 1860 at
Whareponga.
Nine of the fifteen Maori priests working in the Diocese of Waiapu
during the late 1950s were descendants of Taumata-a-kura, the man who had made
possible the first rapid advance of the Christian faith on the East Coast.
Piripi Taumata-a-kura and
his work are commemorated by a tablet on the font at St Mary’s Church,
Tikitiki, and by a memorial bell at Rangitukia. The date of his death is
unknown, but a Piripi Taumata signed the Ngati Porou petition to Governor
George Bowen in 1868, protesting against the confiscation of land as a
punishment because some Ngati Porou had fought with the Hauhau against the
government.
3. Ihaia Te Ahu -
Missionary, Priest in Te Arawa
Ihaia Te Ahu, one of the earliest of the Maori
clergy,
was
a missionary to the people of Te Arawa for more than 50 years.
He was born about 1823 into the Te Uri Taniwha
hapu of Nga Puhi in the Okaihau area.
In 1833 he joined Thomas Chapman, one of the
lay missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, at Kerikeri and lived with
the Chapmans at Kerikeri and then Paihia.
When Thomas and Anne Chapman moved to Rotorua
in 1835 to found the first mission station there, Ihaia went with them and
worked as a missionary assistant.
He married Rangirauaka of Ngati Riripo, and
both were baptised by A.N. Brown on 9 May 1841. That was when he took the name
Ihaia (Isaiah).
By 1845 he was Chapman’s leading teacher and
was entrusted with conducting the Sunday services when Chapman was absent.
Chapman himself noted that Ihaia’s abilities were “fully acknowledged around by
all”. As a Nga Puhi from the north, Ihaia was able to move with some freedom
during the tribal conflicts in the Rotorua area.
When the Chapmans moved to Maketu in the Bay
of Plenty in 1846, Ihaia and his family again accompanied them.
In 1857 he began preparing for ordination. He
went first with his family to Tauranga to study under A.N. Brown, and then,
during the autumn and winter of 1858, he went to St Stephen’s School, Auckland.
There he came first in a class examination and was given a Bible as his prize.
Poor health forced him to return to Maketu before
his studies were completed. He returned to mission work and eventually took
over from Chapman when the latter went to Auckland in 1861.
On 3 November 1861 Ihaia was ordained deacon
by Bishop William Williams.
Ihaia continued to work at Maketu and was
responsible for the building of St Thomas’ Church there, which was opened in
1869.
Ihaia
was not always confident about the success of the mission. (time of Te Kooti –hard
work)
He spent time at Rotorua, and was appointed
the first vicar of the Ohinemutu pastorate in Rotorua in 1882.
One
of his first tasks was to start a drive to build a church – St Faiths
Although the Chapmans had established a
mission station in Rotorua in 1835, mission work in the area suffered as a
result of the disturbances during the 1860s. The people of Te Arawa had seen something
of “the hollowness of the Christianity of civilised men”. The Hauhau movement
and the events surrounding Te Kooti had also contributed to the unsettled state
of affairs.
Ihaia had virtually to re-establish the work
of the church in the Rotorua area.
This
he did to great effect, so that he became known as the “hero of missionary
effort” in Rotorua.
His plans to build a church came to fruition
with the consecration of St Faith’s Church, Ohinemutu, on 15 March 1885, by
Bishop E.C. Stuart of Waiapu.
The extent of his influence can be gauged from
the following lines:
Kaore te aroha ki te kororia tapu
E waewae ake ana i te ara kuiti!
Nau mai, e tama, ka haere taua i
Ki a Ihaia kia monitatia i,
Kia huihui tatou ko he nohoanga nui ei,
Kia hopukia iho te kupu a te Atua i,
Kia awhi taua ki a Ihu Karaiti ei,
Kia murua te hara i taku tinana nei!
How much I love the holy glory
That clears the narrow path!
Come, my son, and we will go
To be ministered to by Ihaia!
We will meet together and long remain,
We will grasp the word of the Lord
And embrace Jesus Christ,
And my sins will be forgiven!
Ihaia left Ohinemutu in 1889. He served
briefly at St Stephen’s College, Auckland, but had retired by 1892 and moved to
Kaikohe.
He died there on 7 July 1895 and was buried at
Maketu.
Ihaia is commemorated on 13 May. This date
marks the beginning of a series of commemorations of Maori Christians from 13
to 18 May. These Maori were chosen from many Maori Christians of their time as
representative of the outstanding Maori witness that caused the gospel to be
sown and take root in many parts of the whole country.
4.
Conclusion
I will invite people to consider what these
stories offer us today
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