Smith Nick: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSmith Nick: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 12 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5723. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): I move That the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill be now read a first time. I will nominate the Government Administration Committee to consider the bill. Christian Churches New Zealand is an association of more than 30 congregationsthat began in Nelson in 1844. I have the privilege as the local MP to sponsor this private bill which enables these Christian churches to modernise its property trust board.The Christian Churches movement began in the early 1800s in both the UK and the US out of concern that the more traditional churches were too rigid and authoritarian. Their focus was on unity and teachings of the New Testament. The church grew rapidly in New Zealand from its Nelson beginnings soon after which the nation was formed with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. New congregations were formed in Auckland in 1845 in Dunedin in 1858 and in Christchurch in 1870 and by 1885 they had grown to 25 churches across the country. I am particularly proud of the strength and contribution of the six churches in the Nelson region: the Unite Church in the city the Annesbrook Church in Stoke the Church of Christ in Richmond the Alive Church of Christ in Motueka and the Church of Christ in Tākaka.In my work previously as the MP for Tasman and the MP for Nelson I have seen in person the huge contribution these churches have made in working with youth in supporting family members in their time of bereavement and in supporting families in hardship and that generosity has spread well beyond just those members in their fellowship. The churches have grown strongly over that time and I have been the benefactor of some of that growth. Twenty years ago the Annesbrooke Church congregation in Stoke outgrew its premises and built a wonderful new complex in Saxton Road. I purchased their old hall and church manse for my electorate office and home. The media at the time joked that it was probably my best prospect of becoming a Minister—by purchasing a church. I do recall at that time my dealings with the church property trust members and I was impressed with their honesty and with the integrity of that transaction.The reason for this bill is that the Associated Churches of Christ Church Property Act 1929 which governs the management of these church properties is outdated and needs modernising. It is a private bill and does not impact on any other people’s property. I have met with all of the churches concerned at their annual conference and noted their strong support for this sensible reform. The bill dissolves the existing trust repeals the existing Act and transfers all properties to a new standard charitable trust under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. It ensures that all the legal obligations of the old trust transfers to the new. It also transfers all of the properties from the old to the new. It is worthwhile noting the history of the current Act in setting out the planned future governance of these church properties.Initially each of the church properties was vested in each autonomous congregation in the name of church elders. This was not entirely practical and in the 1920s the conference of churches decided to have a legal entity that could own all the properties. The legal entity was incorporated as the Church Extension and Property Trust Board of Associated Churches of Christ in New Zealand. There was some doubt then about the legal capacity of the board to hold all those properties vested within it so the private Act was passed by this Parliament in 1929.A new trust was formed after agreement at the 2013 conference of the churches but this bill is required to execute the transfer. The new trust has interim trustees and has appointed a solicitor Mr Viesturs Altmentswhom I have worked with. I pay tribute to him for his work in bringing this bill to the House. The key difference enabled by this trust change is that the new trust has a wider reference. Whereas the 1929 Act has limited the assets to be used only for property purposes and any properties sold would be able to be used only for that purpose the new Act and trust would enable the assets to be used for the wider mission and outreach work of the associated churches. The churches resolved in 2012 also to change their name from the Churches of Christ to Christian Churches New Zealand.I am of the Christian faith and hold huge respect for the role churches play in our communities in the development of our society. I cannot speak for all of the 40 congregations across New Zealand but I am a strong admirer of the work of these Christian churches in my home community of Nelson. This Parliament should support this quite sensible reform of its property governance structure. I did note somewhat jokingly from my colleague the Attorney-General that he would be fronting an amendment to enable the churches to be able to return to the true faith in Rome. I am hoping that other colleagues will take a more charitable and Christian perspective.I do note the degree to which Christian Churches New Zealand is already engaged internationally with the wider family of churches and many of the parishes in New Zealand—10 of them in fact—are union churches involved in partnerships with other denominations. This bill is simply about letting these 40 churches more flexibly manage their own property and I commend it to the House.