The Salvation Army says it’s taking steps to better serve the needs of Māori, after revealing tangata whenua are around 40 per cent of the 150,000 people who access services from the charity each year.
Ian Hutson, head of the Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary unit told Waatea he’s asked Anglican Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu to form a Māori Ministry Rūnanga to provide strategic guidance to the organization.
Hutson says the partially government-funded organization has not always been as responsive to tangata whenua as it should be and it wants to better implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The governing board of the army and the rūnanga, have set agreed terms of reference for the group.
“It’s based on a relationship of commitment to each other, to God’s mission because we are a Christian organisation but also fulfilling God’s plan for Aotearoa and TSA’s tiriti alignment and also to ensure Māori aspirations are part of everything we do,” Hutson told Waatea.
