Māori Ministry in Te Ope Whakaora The Salvation Army

In 1889, The War Cry published a series of articles after a three-day waka journey up the river from Whanganui to Jerusalem (Hiruharama) by a party of Salvationist travellers, including Colonel Josiah Taylor. This excerpt from The Salvation Army Heritage Series, ‘Waka to Jerusalem—Māori Ministry on the Whanganui River’ by Caroline Wardle and Selwyn Bracegirdle, captures Colonel Taylor’s perspectives of the beginnings of Māori Ministry in The Salvation Army: Te Ope Whakaora.

With an 8.30am start and after a series of fond farewells, first on land and then from the water, the waka party left Whanganui, ‘the volley firing, shouting, and waving handkerchiefs both from those who were left behind (but whom we could not help thinking would jump at the chance to come) and from our party in canoes, were immense’. The noise from Salvationists along the riverbank, Taylor believed, would have let all Whanganui know that the waka had departed. He described the dimensions of the waka with care, it was 60 feet long and narrow, made from the hollowed-out centre of tree trunks.

When the waka arrived at Matahiwi, the first stop, three and a half hours from Whanganui, a lunch was kindly provided, a meal of potatoes and whitebait for all the travellers. At dusk the waka arrived at Parakino. Taylor describes how the travellers settled down in the wharepuni, which slept 45–50, ‘…a large room with no furniture except a number of flax mats laid on the floor…’ Captain Ernest Holdaway, with his concertina, led the singing in te reo. Wrapped in blankets, they prepared for sleep that first night, listening as was the custom to men speaking and discussing various topics until 3am. The women travellers were located in different sleeping locations.

Atene (Athens) was reached at 1pm on the second day and the party was met with a hospitable welcome. A lunch was provided in the wharepuni, where later that evening a meeting was held prior to sleep.

A hearty welcome was received at Jerusalem on the afternoon of the third day. Tamatea Aurunui, a chief of Ngatihau-nui-a-Paparangi, stood on the riverbank holding a sword with a group of Salvationists. After greetings had occurred, they all proceeded to the wharepuni for more speeches of welcome.

From The War Cry account, meetings were held at Jerusalem in the morning and at night over several days in an upstairs room. Numbers reached up to 60 people and musical accompaniment included a drum and band. Testimonies were given by Turahui and Tamatea Aurunui, a chief and his daughter, Maria, who said, ‘I have got the power to overcome … I used to be ashamed to speak, but now that is all taken away… You must come up here often, Colonel, don’t be frightened of the river.’

On Monday the travellers were to make their planned departure back to Whanganui. The waka party was followed ‘down to the river’s banks and watched us to the very last. Some … preferred to show their love by weeping out of sight … God bless them all!’