Making a Difference: Faith-Based Organisations Contributing to Social Change in Aotearoa

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of research conducted in 2013 for the Bishop’s Action Foundation (BAF) through the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago. It explores how churches and faith-based organisations can achieve greater impact on policy and decision-making by ministers, officials, and Members of Parliament. Specifically, it seeks to ascertain the extent to which government currently takes churches seriously in public policy discourse, the distinctive contribution that a FBOs can make to the public square, the skills and capacity needed to build relationships with the policy community, and the information, data and research capacity needed to support recommendations or requests for action to government. It also explores how an FBO might become the go-to-body on specialist issues, and, importantly, addresses the question of how churches and FBOs retain theological integrity. How do they communicate a robust theological response to an issue of concern?