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| Pastor & Mrs Te Punga, 1941 |
When asked about the effect of anti-German sentiment in World War I, Whitfield confirmed the stories I've heard and read myself.
The audio can be accessed here.
Sunday, 27 April 2014
New Zealand Lutherans
The second part of the 'Lutheran Tradition' programme aired tonight on RNZ National. The bishop, Mark Whitfield, talked (at times it sounded like a bit like a lecture) on the history of the denomination in New Zealand and its German roots. It's not exactly a success story; Whitfield's total flock numbers around only 800 souls today.
The historical information included some details I was unaware of, but it was surely a major oversight not to mention the church's only Māori pastor, Hamuera Te Punga, who left these shores circa 1912 to study in St. Louis, Missouri, married a German-American woman, and then returned to serve the sturdy Teutonic farmers of the Rangitikei and raise a family of remarkable high achievers, including the late Roi.
When asked about the effect of anti-German sentiment in World War I, Whitfield confirmed the stories I've heard and read myself.
The audio can be accessed here.
When asked about the effect of anti-German sentiment in World War I, Whitfield confirmed the stories I've heard and read myself.
The audio can be accessed here.
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