Liturgy of Lament
03 July 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa
As we approach the release of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry's report this July, we stand at a critical juncture in the life of our Church, and we are called to gather in solemn reflection and prayerful response.
Reverend David Poultney, Chair of Faith and Order, has developed a liturgy of lament for the Methodist Church. This liturgy, born out of a mandate from Conference and its response to historic abuse in the Church, emerges from a deep acknowledgement of the weight of history and the responsibilities we bear as a faith community.
Rev Poultney reminds us: “It is clear that the reception of the report will be a consequential and difficult moment for the Church. How we respond matters. We will be confronted by uncomfortable truths about people who have held positions of authority and the abuse of the authority of the Church. The moment needs more than uncomfortable silence or deliberate amnesia. We need to express our pain, sorrow, and institutional guilt in lament.”
President Peter Taylor has issued a Pastoral Letter to accompany the liturgy. We request that this letter be read to Parishes and Rohe across the Connexion to assist in preparing our congregations for the release of the report.
In the attached liturgy, shared in English, Te Reo, Fijian, Samoan and Tongan languages, we invite you to join us in lament—a sacred journey through honesty, repentance, and hope. May this moment of communal reflection guide us towards a deeper understanding of our past, a commitment to justice and compassion, and a renewed dedication to walking humbly with our God.
May our voices, raised in lamentation, be heard in the halls of history and in the presence of our Creator.
Rev Tara Tautari
General Secretary