About Wesley Community Action
Established in 1952, under the umbrella of the Methodist Church, Wesley Community Action (also known as Wesley Wellington Mission,) has quietly gone about its task of helping create just and caring communities.
The Methodist vision of a safe and sustainable society where every citizen is valued, respected and enjoys equal opportunities to lead a fulfilled life, permeates everything that we do.
The Methodist Movement was formed by John Wesley (1703 - 1791.) Wesley was an Anglican cleric who had become increasingly concerned that the Church was out of touch with the needs of the majority of people during Britain's industrial age.
In the Methodist ethos, the 'Word' and the 'Deed' have always been linked together. The Methodist Church has always been involved in social justice issues beginning with those topical in the 1800's such as prison reform and the abolition of slavery. This social justice work continues today in Wesley Community Action.
The first Wesleyan Missionaries came to Aoteoroa, New Zealand in 1822, and later in 1840 Anglican and Methodist Missionaries played an important role in facilitating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
In 1872 the Wesleyan Education Trust set up a school in Wellington for poor children and for over 140 years, the three words, Community , Compassion and Change , have steered the work of Wesley Community Action or Wesley Wellington Mission as it was earlier known.
Wesley Community Action is proud member of the Methodist Mission Aotearoa, the social services agency of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, which also includes;
Reflecting our Methodist ethos, Wesley Community Action is:
Passionate about social change – we can’t separate helping individuals in need from wider social, political and economic transformation.
Biased – we believe all people are valued and have a bias towards those with the least voice or power. We believe the Treaty of Waitangi is important and has the potential to positively shape the lives of all New Zealanders now and in the future.
Practical – we get stuck in where we see a need, you could call it 'mission driven'. Grounded – we know our limitations, we laugh a lot, we enjoy what we do, and we are optimistic.
