nz

Christina Tyson

Press Service International

Christina Tyson has been a Salvation Army officer (minister) for almost 30 years. For 16 years she was involved in Salvation Army communications, but now works to support local churches and recruit future leaders. Recently she also took on an additional role as The Salvation Army’s Response Officer for the New Zealand Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. Christina and her husband Keith live in Wellington, New Zealand, and have three adult children.

  • Should he stay or should he go?

    I’ve sat at my father’s deathbed twice, almost three times. The first time was when Dad suffered a major stroke at 66. We weren’t sure he’d survive. He did, but was left paralysed on one side and with his personality very much changed.

  • A Fresh Look at Religious Icons

    Recently I had the privilege of a pilgrimage in Greece and Turkey where I got up close and personal with some incredible Eastern Orthodox art.

  • A small part in God’s plans

    I’m not a hugger. My mother is an excellent hugger, but this talent clearly skipped a generation.

  • Good disagreeing

    In June, the Methodist church in Britain voted to permit same-sex marriages. The vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference passed 254 to 46. A freedom of conscience clause means those who oppose this change will not be forced to conduct same-sex weddings if they do not wish to.

  • Unlearning racism

    In May, the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand launched the Unteach Racism programme (www.unteachracism.nz) to ‘identify, confront and dismantle bias and prejudice so education in New Zealand is free from racism’.

  • Safeguarding God’s children

    ‘The church should be the leaders; instead, they are dragging their heels at the bottom of the road.’ These are the words of faith-based abuse survivor Gloria Ramsey to the New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care in December 2020.

  • Disciples in Lockdown

    Knock, knock. Who’s there? I know it’s not Thomas. He’s the most paranoid of us all. Adamant we stay in lockdown until it’s safe again. Until everything dies down (if you’ll excuse the pun). Until everyone forgets about Jesus, and our lives can get back to normal.

  • Thank God for wheelie bin robots

    While walking to work, my eyes were opened to the glory of wheelie bins.

  • The risky business of nativity plays

    One of my favourite nativity plays has no shepherds, no angels, no Mary or Joseph and no wise men.

  • Sometimes the earth moves

    Kiwi folk singer Jess Chambers captures the mixed blessing of life in New Zealand in her song ‘Island’: