Discovering familiar faith through culture, hospitality and weaving
Rev Paul Chalson shares how his President’s Conference experience has deepened his commitment to cross-cultural ministry
January 27, 2026
by Rev Paul Chalson, Minister at Canberra City Uniting Church
The President’s Conference marked two firsts for me. My first time at a President’s Conference, and my first time in Tonga, or any Pacific nation.
Despite this, there was much that felt familiar. For eight years I have been Faifekau (minister) with To e Talatalanoa, a Tongan language and culture Uniting Church congregation. As a fifth generation Australian of predominately Celtic and Nordic heritage, there has been a steep curve learning Tongan culture and a few lines of Tongan language. Thus, the 2025 President’s Conference offered an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Tongan culture and its strong connection between faith and culture.
In addition, I am convinced of the strength and blessing our cultural diversity offers us as a church and the crucial importance of developing skills in cross cultural ministry. The theme of Rev Charissa Suli’s presidency – “Threads of Love, Weaving Christ’s love across cultures and boundaries” – resonates strongly with me and I was keen to explore it further with the President in a cross-cultural situation.
"The conference itself provided great opportunities to explore cross-cultural ministry..."
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The conference met all my hopes and expectations and more so.
In part, this was in experiencing the “vibe” of Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga. Just walking through the streets, visiting the markets, ordering coffee each morning in very broken Tongan at Friends Café, grabbing food from the street vendors, and chatting with various locals including cousins of Sa’ane To’uli, a member of To e Talatalanoa who was also attending the conference, all added to a growing sense of place, and the experience of Tongan culture in its point of origin.
But more crucially, the conference itself provided great opportunities to explore cross-cultural ministry, especially as it immersed participants deeply in the experience of Tongan hospitality and culture as we feasted, shared in cultural experiences, and worshiped with our hosts. This was the familiar part, though again, it was good to experience it in the context of Tonga, and my understanding of Tongan culture was enriched. One of the cultural experiences connecting to the theme which I greatly enjoyed was a workshop on traditional Tongan weaving.
The input of Pacific church leaders, at times challenging and unsettling, but also inspiring further engaged us to reflect upon cultural diversity, church life and ministry.
I could name many other aspects of the conference and my visit to Tonga which I valued but it would take too much time. I will note that I particularly loved the opportunity to swim underground in the Anahulu Cave and also to swim out to the coral reef just 100 metres off the wharf in Nuku’alofa.
I mentioned above the weaving workshop, a practical experience of a Tongan craft which connected us in a practical sense to the conference theme of weaving threads of Christ’s love across cultures. We experienced and explored the theme in many ways including this workshop, which for me became a meditation. Thus, to conclude, I offer a short reflection I wrote following the weaving workshop.
Before the weaving - preparation
Not an easy task
Not always a gentle task
A kind of unweaving,
stripping away layers
of assuptions and obstinence
forming strands for the weaver
similar, different, ready
woven into something new
something beautiful.
strands gathered
stories, songs, wisdom, practice
community
the act of weaving is very communal
skills shared with the novice
a feast of wisdom served
stories, laughter
a foretaste of the promise within the fala to come
but as I sink into the weaving
satisfaction, frustration, rhythm, interruption
I sink into the moment
I weave with fingers
I weave a silence
and there, on my tiny fala
God
a flower blossoms
Rev Paul Chalson
Minister, Canberra City Uniting Church
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