Rev Clay Gets Inducted!
On Sunday 20th October in Queenstown, in front of a packed church, Clay Peterson De Oliveira was inducted as a minister into the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. For a number of years already, Clay has been serving as a pastor of the Global Community, a multicultural, international congregation of the Wakatipu Parish. Clay has previously trained for ministry and served in church leadership back in his home country of Brazil. After having served on the Wakatipu leadership for a number of years, Clay went through the reception process and is now a recognised minister within the PCANZ.
The evening was full of life and colour. With different parts of the service being conducted in Te Reo, Portuguese, Spanish and English, it was a wonderful reflection of the congregation and the wider community of which they are a part. We were blessed by the presence and words of encouragement from the moderator of the General Assembly, Rev Fakaofo Kaio. We heard of the journey of Clay and his family and the congregation to get to this point today. A wonderful story where God has lead Clay to this place at this time. We worshipped in different languages. We gave gifts to Clay that represented his role and the people he will serve. And throughout the whole service, all those in attendance were tormented by the smell of the Brazilian BBQ downstairs, wafting up the stairwell, never letting us forget of the cultural feast and celebrations that awaited us after the formalities were completed.
It was a wonderful evening and a significant moment in the life of Clay and his family and for the ministry of the Wakatipu Parish.