Immigration Changes Welcomed

New Zealand Christian Network (visionnetwork) welcomes changes to the Immigration Act that will allow churches to sponsor pastors from overseas who come to take up pastorates in New Zealand.

The changes were announced to a National Refugee Conference in Wellington, attended by a member of NZ Christian Network, Bryan Johnson.

In the Act at present, sponsorship has to be done by an individual, and representatives of various faiths have complained to the government that many religious leaders have been denied visas to work and stay in this country.

NZ Christian Network’s National Director, Glyn Carpenter, says the previous situation was unfair, and had not kept step with the increasingly global nature of the church’s work.

For instance, Korean congregations have become a significant part of the Catholic Church and they need Korean-speaking ministers who are not available in this country.

New Zealand Christian Network, visionnetwork, is a broad-spectrum network of churches and Christian leaders, with a Board of Reference which includes leaders from all the main denominations. It seeks to present a biblically orthodox position on issues, reflecting the views of the majority of Christians in New Zealand.

ENDS

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