Asia-Pacific Region

Australia/New Zealand Field

Aboriginal Australians are considered as one of the oldest known civilizations on earth. Southeast Asian settlers arrived in Australia centuries before Europeans arrived in the 17th century. From 1788 until 1823, the New South Wales colony (now Australia) was officially a penal colony and settled by thousands of British and Irish released convicts who had served their sentences, “transported” there for the purpose of populating the large territory. By 1829, all of Australia was claimed for Great Britain. In the 1850s, gold rushes attracted many to the colonies and began to shift Australia away from its penal colony roots. Numerous people groups have settled in Australia and New Zealand throughout its history, resulting in diverse cultural populations. Independence was somewhat gradual, beginning with federation in 1901. In 1942, it severed most constitutional links with the UK but remained a part of the British Commonwealth. In 1986, the British and Australian governments passed the Australia Act, which removed any remaining legislative or legal power that the British government had over Australia, making it a fully independent country. However, Australia remains an active participant in the Commonwealth. While Christianity is the majority religion, over 30% of people make no faith claim. Like many places around the globe, relevancy is a continuing challenge. The largest segment of the population in both countries is between the ages of 25 and 54. Many have negative attitudes toward Christians’ perceived intolerance, and individualized spirituality without accountability is often preferred. Many denominations are in decline. The Church of the Nazarene established work in Australia in 1946, and in New Zealand in 1952, and has sought to live out the message of scriptural holiness as Christlike disciples in these diverse nations.

Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Youth GO on mission to Papua New Guinea

What happens when a group of young people with mixed feelings about taking a missions trip to an unfamiliar field set out together to test their limits as agents of grace? What happens when they question whether they will ‘fit in’ or find their rhythm in the time they have to make a difference? What happens if the receiving field is unsure about what this team wants to do in terms of their missions project(s): working with children and painting murals for a hospital and its clinics? Can delays in travel and uncertainties regarding outcomes be met with joy and grace? If they make it through, will they return home disappointed, puzzled, or transformed? Such questions can paralyze participants and test their faith. Or these challenges can drive a group to come together, enjoy the adventure, and discover something in themselves they didn’t expect. Curious? Watch this video.

These questions were some of the thoughts running through the minds of a group of youth from the Australia/New Zealand Field, headed for Papua New Guinea. Read the full report that followed their return home here.