Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand:

Presbyterian Church says churches have an important role to play in reconciliation in Madagascar

Churches have an important role to play in reconciliation initiatives in troubled regions of the world, such as Madagascar, says the Right Rev Dr Graham Redding, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Over the past few weeks the Christian Council of Churches of Madagascar has attempted to convene a conference of reconciliation after weeks of violence in the country following a change of government, says Graham.

I was very concerned to hear that the president of the largest Protestant Church in the country, Lala Rasendrahasina, was detained briefly on Tuesday by unidentified elements in the military following a meeting at the offices of the Christian Council of Churches.

Graham says the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand supports the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM) in appealing for calm in Madagascar and calling on all parties to consider the will of the people in seeking the best way to ensure good governance.

In upholding the churches and people of Madagascar in our prayers we are identifying with their struggle and envisioning a day when political differences will no longer result in acts of violence and the suspension of normal democratic processes.

The Presbyterian Church is the third largest denomination in Aotearoa New Zealand, with more than 400,000 people identifying as Presbyterian in the 2001 Census, and 30,000 regular church attenders

The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is a member church of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and Council for World Mission (CWM.) WARC brings together 75 million Reformed Christians in 214 churches in 107 countries - united in their commitment to making a difference in a troubled world.

The Council for World Mission (CWM) is a global community of 31 member churches, some 14 million Christians in local mission.

ENDS

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