Comment from New Zealand Christian Network, visionnetwork, re current media attention on Destiny Church

From Glyn Carpenter, National Director, New Zealand Christian Network, visionnetwork.

1. Recent media attention on Destiny Church has focused mainly on money. There is a lot more to Church and the message of Jesus Christ than money, and there is more to Destiny Church than just money, so the money issue needs to be kept in balance.

2. As far as the money issue is concerned, attention has focused on gifts and tithing, eftpos machines, large incomes, and lavish...

visionnetwork, New Zealand Christian Network, is urging Kiwis to respond generously to the disaster in Haiti, which is reeling from the largest earthquake to hit the Caribbean in 200 years. The initial estimated number of 50,000 dead is now considered to be very conservative and there are countless injured.

visionnetwork is encouraging all church ministers, pastors and concerned Christian groups to make a submission on the Law Commission report, Alcohol in our Lives. The report, made at the request of the Government and including a review of the Sale of Liquor Act, was released at the end of July. Public submissions are due by 30 October.

The suppression of religious meetings and the arrest of Methodist leaders in Fiji is worrying churches throughout the Pacific region.

visionnetwork welcomes a decision by Australian clothing chain Cotton On Kids to withdraw what have been described as offensive and sexualised items of baby wear from its 17 New Zealand-based stores. The decision followed boycott calls from Family First NZ, the National Council of Women, visionnetwork, and Child Alert NZ (ECPAT), amongst others. visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter congratulated Family First's Bob McCoskrie for his role in communicating the issues to key groups. In response to its complaints, Family First received an email from the Australian-based clothing company...

An OECD report on child well-being is a wake-up call for not just government but all sectors of society to seriously think through the deep underlying causes of the issues identified, says visionnetwork.

visionnetwork says it gives the new Human Rights Commission guidelines on religion in schools a score of 8 out of 10.

visionnetwork has added its support to calls for a boycott on children’s clothing sold by Australian-based chain Cotton On Kids. Some of the T-shirts and suits on sale carry slogans that should not have any place in our communities, commented Glyn Carpenter, visionnetwork’s National Director.

Groups, such as the National Council of Women, have called for a boycott until the chain removes the line of offensive baby wear. “It’s always a pity when you feel a need to take action against something,” said Mr Carpenter, “but in this case we felt it was appropriate to back the Council...

This is the question New Zealanders will be asked in the referendum that will be held at the end of July. Visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter says he is surprised so many people are having difficulty with what is a very simple and straightforward question.

"Yes means you think a smack that is administered as part of good parental correction should be a criminal offence. No means you think a smack should not be a criminal offence. People are trying to make it more complicated than it is," is Mr Carpenter's comment.
He is also disappointed that the issue of the $9-10...

Visionnetwork, the New Zealand Christian network, strongly endorses the comments of Major Campbell Roberts of the Salvation Army in his critical comments of the alcohol industry today.

In an article in the NZ Herald, Major Roberts said alcohol is wrecking lives and families across New Zealand. But he said the changes to liquor laws being proposed in the Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill are merely tinkering with the problems associated with the abuse of alcohol.

Instead of having to rely on laws that aren't enforced, or on local efforts to address a national...

Vision Network national director Glyn Carpenter says he is concerned at the way email is being used to spread inaccurate information, which usually reflects badly against a particular group, often Muslims.

He says several emails currently going the rounds illustrate the problem. In one case, an Anzac Day PowerPoint claims that the "UK government had removed the Holocaust from the British school curriculum because it offended ‘the Muslim population beliefs' that the holocaust never took place".

In response, the chief executive of the UK's Holocaust Educational Trust re-affirmed...