PRAYER@PARLIAMENT

In attendance:

• Hon Tim Macindoe (Parliamentary Host)
• Jonathan Young MP
• Joanne Hayes MP
• Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki MP
• Melissa Lee MP

Speakers

• Sir Kim Workman
• Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand
• Ps Rasik Ranchord

The meeting was opened in prayer by Jonathan Young MP

Welcome
Hon Tim Macindoe warmly welcomed the attendees to Parliament, “our place”

The Scripture readings were as follows:
Old Testament : Psalm127:1-5 read by Joanne Hayes MP
New Testament : Matt 25:31-46 read by Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki MP

Prayer Track 1 : Prisoner Welfare - Sir Kim Workman

Ps Rasik outlined Sir Kim’s career milestones which have brought him to this point in his life. Congratulations were extended to Sir Kim on his receiving a knighthood in the recent New Year’s Honours. Sir Kim has been involved with restorative justice for a long time and recently his book on this subject was released in November 2018.

Sir Kim went on to talk about the huge input volunteers have made to the welfare of prisoners. Prison Fellowship as an initiative was started by Charles Colson in 1974 following his incarceration after the USA Watergate scandal.

Prisons should be part of civil society, not a private business. They are there to keep out people who do not need to be separated from society, and to ensure as many citizens as possible are involved. Volunteers have a significant effect on behaviour in prisons – on staff as well as prisoners, and can bring education, arts, life experience to those unable to participate in society generally.

The volunteer process needs to be relaxed. It has been tightened and it is now more difficult to get access to prisons. The Church must insist on being heard and should argue for volunteer rights and processes to visiting and involvement in prisons. Prisoners have also been asked what they want. We need to insist on volunteer involvement in prisons.

Prayer Points:

• Prison officials and corrections staff to be upheld and honoured in their work
• Prisoners will take opportunities offered them, to transform their lives for good
• Corrections Volunteer Review will recommend increased opportunities for prison visitors to engage with prisoners and their whanau
• Sir Kim Workman’s Leadership in this area

Prayer Track 2 : Royal Commission into Historical abuse in State Care and in the care of Faith-based Institutions - Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand

Ps Rasik outlined the Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand’s career and welcomed him to the platform.

Sir Anand Satyanand said he was delighted to accept this request for Prayer at Parliament March 2019. He acknowledged all parliamentary attendees and the people present in precincts of where government groups have gathered over many years. Democracy has been unbroken for 150 years with many representatives across the nation from many cultures. In 1839 the first settlers were living here alongside the Te Atiawa people 180 year ago. It is customary to acknowledge those who have passed on before us and respect is given to the late Gordon Copeland who died last year.

Over his career he has had many connections [with governments] including Ombudsman 1995 where he instituted the-first register of pecuniary interest 2006. He held this office from 2006-2011. The he became Governor-General of New Zealand. Following that appointment, Sir Anand Satyanand received an invitation to take up the role of Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical abuse in State Care and in the care of Faith-based Institutions.

1. The context for this Royal Commission is about the abuse of children and vulnerable others in the care of others. Similar Commissions have been set up in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Two United Nations organisations have called for action from New Zealand, hence the Royal Commission.
2. Process: The Welfare Act 1925 allowed removal [of children] from families. Many thousands of children were removed and up to 70% of Maori children were taken away from their families. A Royal Commission is needed for the survivors. Their [learned] skills were often stealing and violence. Schools and psychiatric hospitals also were places of abuse and neglect. Other institutions such as Social Welfare, Disability, Police (and application of the Law), and places [homes] for care also were often not safe.
3.  Methodology: To look back and establish what happened and then look forward, being survivor focused. While Maori and Pacific [are high numbers] are included, the Commission is not primarily concerned with ethnicity. Issues will be anominised [so people cannot be identified] for the public channel. Commissioners knowledge will be informed by various streams including media. How we will function will be a “made in NZ” way. An interim report will be available by November 2020 with a formal report provided 2 years after that. Please continue to pray us through this process.
4. The Commissioners are listed below in the Prayer Pointers

Prayer Pointers:

• For the Chair, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand
• For other Royal Commissioners (Judge Coral Shaw, Ali’muamua Sandra Alofivae, Dr Andrew Erueti and Paul Gibson )
• The work of the Royal Commission
• website: www.abuseinstatecare.royalcommission.govt.nz

Prayer Track 3 Members of Parliament - Rasik Ranchord

Prayer at Parliament has been going for 20 years and is based on 1Timothy 2:12. Ps Rasik reported on the AMPP project, saying there were 9 Prayer Provinces covered, however a few more participants were needed to cover all the 120 members of Parliament. Those not currently appointed specific prayer participants are covered by Prayer Promoters and others, so every MP is being covered. There is no other nation where all their MPs are regularly prayed for as far as we know. Ps Rasik read Abraham Lincoln’s prayer of 1863, which was an inspiring document (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSSv25QxNm8). Let us ask God to send more Esthers and Mordecais into this place – our Parliament. We can be proud of our heritage as New Zealanders.

Prayer points:

• Leaders of Parties
• Christian MPs
• AMPP Project
• Wednesday Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast

After this portion of prayer, the attending MPs were asked to come forward and the meeting attendees prayed for them collectively.

It was also announced by Andrew Coster (Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police) that the new Chief Justice is Dame Helen Winkelmann, after the retirement of Dame Sian Elias and Andrew led us in prayer for the new Chief Justice.

Brian Caughley committed the Offering for expenses to the Lord.

Ps Hamish Thomson closed the meeting with prayer.

Prayer Points are on the website at http://www.prayeratparliament.org.nz

The next Prayer at Parliament will be on 13 June 2019.

Information and Links:

• This report is also on our website Click Here
• Photos from the gathering Click Here 
• Abraham Lincoln’s prayer of 1863 Click Here
• Royal Commission website Click Here
• The Next Prayer at Parliament will be on Thursday 13th June 2019