As a member of The Christian & Missionary Alliance of New Zealand we’ve been supporting people and projects throughout the world and around New Zealand for over 30 years. We believe it’s important to have a global impact and invest beyond the boundaries of our local community. With the C&MA being involved in work in almost 90 countries, the possibilities are endless. Our current involvement is summarized below as well as the latest Global Newsletters .
THAILAND

We’ve been supporting the work of Roland & Nancy Lumawag in Thailand since 2000. For most of this time they headed the INTO Project which facilitates the mission programme of the Gospel Church of Thailand (C&MA) with special emphasis on sending Thai missionaries to countries with significant Thai immigrant populations. The Lumawags, originally from the Philippines, have two sons, RJ and Denzel who are currently studying in the Philippines. Roland and Nancy have recently been reassigned to Thailand and are based in  Khon Kaen, in the north east where they are now working with the national church to further assist their missions programme. In addition to his missionary responsibilities, Roland has recently been elected as the Regional Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region of the Alliance World Fellowship and is also involved in assisting with the Bible College in Khon Kaen. For the latest information about their ministry please visit the CMA NZ website.

A team of 12 visited Thailand in September 2006 for a two week building renovation project at the Northeastern Institute of Theology (C&MA) in Kohn Kaen. As well as completing much needed building work the team was involved in teaching English at a public school, ministering to Bible College students at chapel services and a fellowship night, preaching and singing at the main church in KK, and visiting several ministry initiatives including a Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation centre, orphanages, and an HIV orphanage centre ministering to children with HIV whose parents have died.    

In April, 2004 a team of 4 men visited Bangkok, Thailand to work on the Alliance Guest as part of a combined team from the USA and Canada. The project involved repairing damaged roofing and guttering and was our first taste of Thailand and the important missions work being done there by the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

 

 
INDIA

RJ, Roland, Nancy, Denzel

Paul, Jonathan, Violet, Jeremy
MYANMAR CYCLONE RELIEF

On May 2, 2008, Tropical Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar's Irrawaddy River delta region, including the capital city of Yangon, killing up to 100,000 people and leaving close to 1 million homeless. Through Compassion and Mercy Associates, the relief arm of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, funds raised in New Zealand and throughout the Alliance worldwide have been used to rebuild the student dorm of the Alliance Bible College in Yangon. Cement block construction replaced the former wood structure. The 30 students now have a safe place to study and sleep. Plans are being made to replace the kitchen as well. In addition, funds were used to rebuild an Alliance church destroyed by the cyclone.

 

Funds have also been disbursed to a local evangelical agency doing relief work in outlying villages. Five tractors have been purchased and given to local village councils for use in plowing rice fields. Rice seed has also been provided in the hopes of a harvest five months from now. In addition, wells had been dug to provide clean water and food and household supplies have been disbursed to villagers who were left with nothing. One of the relief workers saw a woman who was crying and asked what was wrong. The lady replied that she was simply crying for joy, because she had received a cooking pot in which she could prepare rice. The fact that it is Christians who are dispersing assistance is not lost on those who receive help.

 

The damage from the cyclone, both physical and emotional, will take years to repair. CAMA anticipates continuing to work with Alliance churches in the Yangon area to rebuild houses, livelihoods and broken lives.
KIWI CONNECTION

“Global” means the whole world and that includes our own CMA churches in New Zealand. Through the C&MA Global Fund we support the pastoral leadership of Matt Mordaunt at West Harbour Alliance Church and Kevin Nichol at the International Christian Centre. Both these men have brought their families from Canada to help our efforts in New Zealand and it’s our privilege to offer our support and prayer to their ministries.

 

We also enjoy a close partnership with the Korean Alliance Church of Auckland who shares our facilities and is lead by our good friends Pastor Joshua and Esther Lee.
WORLD VISION

Our Youth Group has been actively supporting the work of World Vision for many years through their participation in the 40 Hour Famine. This year they raised almost $5000 - our highest level yet! In addition to this special event fundraising our mainly music group has been supporting a World Vision child for a number of years.

In December, 2006 we had the privilege of meeting Rev Paul Christian and his family while they were in New Zealand. As a church with a large Indian contingent, we had always wanted to invest back into this great nation and were excited about the partnership possibilities. Pastor Paul is a senior leader with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in India and the Pastor of the Bombay Bible Fellowship Alliance Church and is involved in a range of ministries to the people who live in a nearby slum area.

On 26th September, 2008 a team of 12 people from BBCC visited Mumbai (Bombay) to work with the church amongst the slum dwellers and consider ways of supporting and expanding this work in the future. Considerable fundraising has been carried out over the last few months and we’re excited about the opportunity to invest in this ministry and partner with C&MA in India.