Page 45 - IB December 2023

OUTCOME STATEMENT OF THE

12TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE

PACIFIC CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES

the church in its work, during its deliberations at programmatic,
Homecoming
57 years after the Constituting Assembly of the Pacific Conference ministerial and leadership level.
of Churches, in Lifou, our ecumenical canoe has returned to Kanaky.
We have been reinvigorated by the deep relationships that have Safe and Empowering churches
As a Household of God, we call for women and children, the elderly
been renewed and the warmth of the hospitality we have received.
and people with disabilities, to be treated with respect and dignity
The revelations of our reflections on Do Kamo, the Authentic
Human in Permanent Becoming have been both profound and at all times. Accordingly, we call on all Pacific churches to adopt
policies which ensure safe spaces in which women and children can
challenging. This gift of the faith of our Kanak people is a call to us
in our rich Pasifika diversity, to seek the transformation of ourselves worship and find comfort and support in times of need. We also call
on churches to ensure access to places of worship for those who
and of our world. It is not a transformation to perfection but a journey
need assistance and the adoption of liturgical methods that allow
to be who God calls us to be.
Our Pacific traditions and faith history are enriched through inclusivity for those who face challenges with sight or hearing.
We affirm the call by our young people for intergenerational
storytelling. We commit to telling all the stories of the Pasifika
Household of God. In doing so we build a Pacific that is home to all engagement and empowerment as part of our ongoing transformation.
its people and where nobody is left to struggle alone.
Militarisation of the Pacific
Through stories we teach our young people to care for their
neighbour and the environment. These stories will guide us in The continued militarisation of the Pacific remains an issue of
concern.
our voyage towards an ecumenical spirituality that weaves our
faith traditions and indigenous knowledge and wisdom with our The Household of God in the Pacific is a region of peace. Its
desecration by the legions of military conquest must cease.
development experiences.
As guardians of Pasifika, we call on the governments of Australia,
We commit to equipping the emerging leaders of our household
with the tools necessary to respond pastorally, prophetically and China, France, India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United
States to free our region of nuclear proliferation, weapons of mass
practically in an ever changing world.
destruction and military bases.
Kanaky We persist in our call for regional ratification of the Treaty of the
Prohibition on nuclear weapons and a total commitment to the
The Pasifka Household of God has assembled in Kanaky in 2023.
We have been here before. We will be here again. Rarotonga Treaty for a Nuclear Free Pacific. We challenge past and
present colonial powers in the Pacific to sign the TPNW.
But we recognise that Kanaky is in need of support from the
churches which formed the PCC in Lifou in 1966. We call on our own leaders to free our people from the shackles of
development assistance by the rich and powerful as instruments of
We affirm that Kanaky has always been and must remain Pasifika.
influence and control.
We stand ready to support Kanaky’s pursuit of independence from
France through a referendum promised by the French republic. We
commit to supporting efforts to improve the wellbeing of the Kanak Guardianship
people. In the spirit of transformation, we, Pasifika churches, communities
and nations, are called into a transformation to be guardians of our
We will voyage together for the holistic Self-Determination of
islands and the ocean that connects us.
Kanaky, Maohi, West Papua, Bouganville, the Land now called
Australia and other territories who seek liberation. We continue to condemn the dumping of nuclear and other waste
in our ocean. We call on Japan to cease the dumping of contaminated
Church called to transform water into our ocean.
We call on the United States, Britain and France to accept
Drawn to Kanaky by call of Do Kamo, the Pacific churches
responsibility for the ongoing degradation of the ocean caused by
recognise the need to lead regional change through transformation.
We must become more just in our approach, ensuring that their nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the land now
called Australia and Maohi Nui.
God’s household in the Pacific receives justice through sufficient
employment, responsible leadership and efficient use of resources. We will guide our people in the process of transformation that is
needed to protect our forests and our oceans from extractive industry
The church must reduce the financial burden on its members by
and corporate capture.
converting its land to projects which benefit the people.
And it must call out leaders who do not put the needs of the people
first. COP 28
Our communities have been turned into marketplaces which As we continue to face the brunt of the impacts of climate change,
we charge our representatives to COP28 to be the prophetic voice
need transformation. We will engage those colonising legions which
of the Pasifika Household of God to this important gathering in the
prevent the transformation of our people into their authentic selves
in Christ. midst of a planetary crisis. We urge COP28 to hear the cry of our
people, land and ocean and to remember that without maintaining
In recognition of the role of the Church in the Pacific, we call for
the Pacific Islands Forum to ensure a space to hear the voice of the 1.5 degree target, all climate adaptation and loss and damage
funding is blood money.
May the Christ of the Islands reveal the Do Kamo within us all.
23 November, 2023 Noumea, Kanaky
Islands Business, December 2023 45