Mercy Governance:
Whānau Mercy Ministries
Hui Whānau 2025
Nau mai, Haere Mai!
Whānau Mercy Ministries welcomes all our trustees, board directors and ministry leaders to join us for Whānau Mercy Ministries’ Hui Whānau 2025 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington, a 24-hour gathering spread over 2 days for our Mercy Ministries across Aotearoa to engage, encounter, and experience Mercy together.
The hui begins at 4:00pm on Monday 13 October at the Atura Hotel (Mansfield Room) with a Mihi whakatau, followed by a chance to connect with our wider Mercy whānau, dinner, and keynote speakers.
On Tuesday, 14 October we continue at the Mercy Conference Centre (Catherine Room) with a full-day conference programme of speakers, workshops, and time for reflection and considering the future opportunities Mercy is being called into in Aotearoa.
Confirmed speakers include Susan Pascoe (Monday evening), Manuel Beazley, and Nuncio Gábor Pintér, who will join us across both days.
Hui presentations now available!!
Visit our speaker bios to view links to their presentation materials
Speakers
Susan Pascoe AM
Susan Pascoe AM is Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia. She Chairs the Australian Council for International Development and the Community Director’s Council. She was a member of the Vatican’s Methodology Commission for the Synod on Synodality and a facilitator at the Synod Assemblies in Rome in 2023 and 2024. She is a Trustee of St John of God Health, a Board member of Mercy Health.
Prof Pascoe was the inaugural Commissioner for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission from 2012-17. Prior to this appointment, she was Victorian State Services Authority Commissioner. She was as one of three Commissioners for the 2009 Royal Commission into Black Saturday Bushfires. Her earlier career was in education where she served as Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and CEO and Chair of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.
Prof Pascoe is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian College of Educators. She was Appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2007; awarded the Leadership in Government Award in 2016 for her outstanding contribution to public administration in Australia; and awarded an honorary doctorate from ACU in 2024. She is currently leading an international project into lay governance.
Archbishop Gábor Pintér
Nuncio Gábor Pintér. Before taking up his appointment as Apostolic Nuncio (representative of the Holy See) here in Aotearoa, Archbishop Pintér was the Apostolic Nuncio to Honduras. He was born in Kunszentmarton, Hungary, in 1964, and ordained as a Catholic priest in June 1988. He has a PhD in Theology and a PhD in Canon Law, and speaks Hungarian, Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, and Haitian Creole.
Manuel Beazley
Manuel Beazley is the Vicar for Māori in the diocese of Auckland. He sits on the diocesan Lead Team and the NZCBC Rōpū Māori. His role of Vicar for Māori is to be a link between the bishop and the Māori Catholic faithful in the diocese; to provide pastoral care to the Māori Catholic community of the diocese; to support parishes, schools and other faith communities of the diocese to develop their ministry to and with Māori and to support diocesan departments and agencies. Manuel recently attended sessions of the global Synod on Synodality in Rome.
Bill Takerei
Bill Takerei is Chief Executive Officer of Te Waipuna Puawai. Bill has a wealth of experience from previous roles at Otara Network Action Committee Charitable Trust (ONAC), Otara Boards’ Forum Incorporated, Poutiri Trust and Hapai Te Hauora Tapui Ltd. He has a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Team Building, and Public Speaking.
Phil Alexander Crawford
Phil Alexander Crawford (Te Whiu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāpuhi) Chief Executive Officer of Hango-Ara-Rau. Highly experienced leader of transformation, previously Director of Te Pae Tawhiti – Māori Equity Partnership at Te Pūkenga. Has held senior leadership roles in the vocational education sector, including Chief Executive of Te Matarau Education Trust, General Manager Education for the Ngāti wai Trust Board and Director of Development for Tai Tokerau Wānanga (NorthTec). He is a current board member of Whānau Mercy Ministries Trust.
Charlotte Cummings
Charlotte Cummings is a current Trustee of Whānau Mercy Ministries. Over 2024/5 she has participated in the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship, delivering a project entitled: ‘Mercy Governance Approaches to Caring for Our Common Home: A Reflective and Practical Guide for Mercy Boards Responding to the Call of Laudato Si’’. Charlotte is passionate about the future of Mercy in Aotearoa – particularly how we apply our Mercy values to the issue of climate change, and how we continue our bias towards supporting those who are most vulnerable in our society.
James Beck
James Beck leads A Rocha’s Eco Church (ecochurch.org.nz) movement, which is a network of church communities across Aotearoa who are actively caring for God’s earth as an integral part of their mission. James has a long history of leadership in faith-based community development and social service agencies. James is also the Associate Pastor of The River Opāwaho, a church based in Ōtautahi.
Timetable
Day 1: October 13 – Mihi whakatau/Official welcome, conference opening and evening dinner.
Venue: Mansfield Room, Level 1, Atura Hotel (24 Hawkestone Street, Thorndon)
| 16.00 – 16.30 | Registrations |
| 16.30 – 17.00 | Mihi whakatau, welcome to hui & laying of symbolic items |
| 17.00 – 18.00 | Pre-dinner speaker – Susan Pascoe (via Zoom link) |
| 18.00 – 19.00 | Pre-dinner drinks and networking time |
| 19.00 – 21.00 | Evening Dinner |
| After Dinner Speaker (20mins) | Manuel Beazley |
| 21.15 approx | Evening formalities ends with Emcee invite to next day |
Emcee: Gerald Scanlan
Mihi Whakatau: Bill Takerei
Day 2: October 14 – Hui/conference
Venue: Catherine Room, Mercy Conference Centre, 15 Guildford Terrace
| 8.00 – 8.25 | Mihi whakatau, welcome to Day 2 |
| 8.25 – 8.45 | Kai/Inu – Tea & coffee |
| 8.45 – 9.30 (Catherine Room) | Apostolic Nuncio Gābor Pintēr: reflections on PJP experiences & lay led organisations, challenges regarding AI and Vatican statements. |
| 9.30 – 9.45 | Mercy Moments x2 |
| 9.45 – 10.30 | Manuel Beazley – unpacking Whanau Mercy Ministry values and what it is to be authentically mercy. |
| 10.30 – 11.00 | Morning Tea |
| 11.00 – 12.30 (1hr session + 30 min feedback/workshop) concurrent sessions | Te Tiriti – Practical implications and applications for our Ministries led by Bill and Phil (Catherine Room) |
|
Care for our Common Home – led by Charlotte and James (Julia Dickson Room) |
|
| 12.30 – 1.30 (Mercy Centre Foyer, Ground floor tbc) | Lunch and Mercy Quiz |
| 1.30-1.45 | Waiata session (BT/CC) |
| 1.45 – 2.00 | Mercy Moments (2 people give a 5-minute reflection on service in their ministry). |
| 2.00 – 3.00 | World café – ‘How do we widen the tent pegs’, what are the implications for Whanau Mercy ministries, where might Mercy be calling us. |
| 3.00 – 3.15 | Afternoon tea |
| 3.15 – 4.00 | Mercy moments (2 x 5 mins), reflection & poroporoaki |
Registration
A registration contribution of $150 (GST excl) per person applies to help cover the cost of the event. Whānau Mercy Ministries will cover the remaining expenses of holding the event as part of our shared commitment to formation and connection. For those outside of Wellington, each ministry will be responsible for your travel, but accommodation will be offered if you can note that on the registration form.
WMM looks forward to welcoming you to this special time of reflection, connection, and renewal in our shared Mercy mission – he wā whakamaumahara. We look forward to seeing as many directors there as possible and to have all our ministries represented.
Ngā mihi atawhai,
Whānau Mercy Ministries