Reeves Ponders Power Issues
Episcopal News Service. [84179]
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (DPS, Sept. 13) -- The Most Rev. Paul A. Reeves' grandmother was a full-blooded Maori (an aboriginal New Zealander), and Reeves points to that birthright as one of the reasons that he lives "a life which is full of discovery; a life which has much promise in it."
Reeves, primate and archbishop of New Zealand, was in Connecticut in early September as a participant in the Pan-Anglican Symposium on Mission Theology, and he shared his views on ministry and the life of the Anglican Church in his region.
This Oxford-educated church leader has not always identified with his traditional culture. "But I gradually came back into my Maori heritage, which meant getting to know my relatives, my culture, my language and most especially, being identified with the group and its hopes and expectations. It has been a very affirming and enriching choice."
Not only has this voyage of self-discovery been personally nourishing for Reeves, it has also sharpened his focus on certain key issues currently facing the Church in New Zealand. His gentle smile and easy manner do not take the sting out of Reeves' burning convictions about the Church, society and the responsible use of power.
The Archbishop cited three issues related to aspects of power and Christian responsibility. The first he called the power of wealth, noting that a necessary distinction must be made between the Church for the poor and the Church of the poor. A Church for the poor has a them and us connotation, suggestive of a pupil-teacher relationship. "A Church of the poor, on the other hand, is a church in which the poor are released to share their treasures and their wisdom." In a pastoral letter to the Churches of Auckland, Reeves recommended divesture of capital resources.
He calls the second issue the power of class. Reeves sees the middle classes as agents for social change. He would like to see them widen their agendas to take seriously the issues of the poor and minorities. "Power is not an elastic commodity," he explains, "there is only a certain amount, and it must be shared. Social change will become possible when the middle class is prepared to give something away -- so others can have a chance."
Finally, there is the power of clericalism. The clergy as a group are so dominant, according to Reeves, that they distort the balance of Christian community and foster a passive laity. Every priest is a member of diocesan synod (convention) whereas lay people must be elected. "This gives a large amount of power to certain people. It is a misuse of power within the system." Reeves concedes, however, that lay people must decide themselves to be the Church and stop waiting to be authorized by the clergy.
Finally, Reeves poses the question: "Can the Church evolve into a genuine 'Church of the People' or will the Church resist such a movement and become increasingly tied to the wealthier sections of New Zealand society?" The question is an important one; the answer is crucial.