A just church…
AAW groups across Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia are involved in some amazing projects which seek to create fairer communities in a world which is marked with beauty and joy but also with brokenness and pain.
But what does it mean to be part of a Church that takes up the call of the prophet Amos to ‘do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God?
The Most Reverend Justin Duckworth, Tikanga Pakeha – Archbishop and Primate

Here are some of my thoughts:
A just church:
- Has Jesus at its centre – believing and sharing that that is where transformation ultimately lies
- Makes disciples in the self-emptying way of Jesus whilst pursuing justice
- Always looks at who is not in the room, and why that might be
- Is more interested in what’s ‘out there’ than ‘in here’
- Is deeply involved in its local community and therefore understands what its needs are
- Knows the big issues that face society – nationally and internationally
- Thinks about its impact holistically – what it buys, how it uses its resources.
As part of the Church, how does your AAW group fare? What can you celebrate that you are doing well? What invitation might be present from God to refine or reinvigorate us towards transformative justice? And because each of our individual actions really matters to the whole, in our own lives what are the changes, big or small, that each of us can work on with God to bring about Jesus-centred justice?’
From Circle February 2023
