In the Methodist ethos, the ‘Word’ and the ‘Deed’ have always been linked together in the underlying belief that “actions speak louder than words.”
The Methodist Church has always been involved in social justice issues beginning with those concerns 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 Missionaries played an important role in facilitating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This early partnership with Maori is important in shaping the work of Wesley today.
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 Alliance, 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.