New Zealand Religious Freedom Conference 2025

Freedom to Do, to Be, and to Become: Enhancing Individuals’ Opportunities to Believe and Live as They Choose Within the Framework of the Law

In the picturesque city of Auckland, New Zealand Aotearoa, about 130 delegates from New Zealand, Australia, United States, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, and also representatives of many other Pacific nations, gathered February 21-23, 2025, for an historic Religious Liberty Conference. The event was sponsored by the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) in partnership with the Pacific Area of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society (JRCLS), the University of Waikato Te Piringa Faculty of Law (New Zealand), and the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative at BYU–Hawaii. The theme of the conference was “Freedom to Do, to Be, and to Become: Enhancing Individuals’ Opportunities to Believe and Live as They Choose Within the Framework of the Law.” 

The Conference was a rich inter-faith sharing experience, with delegates representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the “Church”), the International Centre for Law and Religious Studies, the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative (BYU-H), the Addai Chaldean Catholic Church of New Zealand, the Muslim faith of New Zealand, the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary New Zealand, the Methodist Church of New Zealand, the Ministry of Justice of New Zealand, UNESCO Chair of Inter-religious Understanding for New Zealand and the Pacific, the Auckland Interfaith Council, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand and the traditional Maori peoples of Aotearoa.
The program featured a number of notable addresses and several panel sessions where each panel member had time to present individual material and then participate in broad-ranging Q&A engagement from the floor. The program also explored a range of relevant topics in the religious liberty space, examining issues, decisions and events happening in New Zealand, Australia and more broadly around the Pacific.  Some sessions also explored the historical rise of religious liberty and related issues in New Zealand and the significant role played by the Church in the origination of Christianity in New Zealand and the Pacific. 

Panel speakers were drawn from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds, including high-level speakers from the private profession in New Zealand and Australia, including those from the ICLRS, BYU Hawai’i, the New Zealand Ministry of Justice, the University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Auckland, University of Adelaide, University of Notre Dame Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Western Australian Legal Theory Association, University of Queensland, University of Otago, Massey University, St John’s College, University of Western Australia, Australian National University and Deakin University.  Other notable representations include the former NZ Human Rights Commissioner and Chairs of a number of other societies and associations interested in promoting principles of religious freedom generally.

For many attendees, the highlight of the Conference was an exclusive, private tour of the Church’s Auckland, New Zealand Temple and its grounds for invited delegates on the evening of Saturday 22 February 2025. The Church is hosting open houses for the Auckland temple until late March, 2025, with the temple dedication scheduled for April 2025, by Elder Patrick Kearon, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church.  

Three images of the Auckland New Zealand Temple – day, evening and night – sitting majestically on a rise adjacent to the main north-south motorway of New Zealand.  A local Stake Centre and the New Zealand MTC sit each side of the Temple site.
Several representatives of the Church were also in attendance for the conference, including Elder Steven R Bangerter, Elder K Brett Nattrass, Elder Taniela B. Wakolo and Elder Jeremy R Jaggi of the Seventy, with Elder Jared Ormsby, local Area Authority and J Reuben Clark Law Society member, also speaking. Elder Orsmby introduced the ICLRS Religious Freedom brochure series – a series of brochures addressing religious liberty issues in a number of Pacific jurisdictions, all printed in their respective native languages for each jurisdiction. Elder Jaggi then represented the views of the Church in the main panel session on Religious Freedom and Faith Traditions in New Zealand.  Elder Wakolo moderated the final panel session on Navigating Faith-based Differences & Partnerships to Support Human Dignity.  Finally, Elder Bangerter spoke of the significance, sacredness and symbolism of the Temple for non-member delegates before the tour group was ushered away. 

The Conference organization was more than ably spearheaded by Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director of the ICLRS and member of the Law Society’s Religious Freedom Committee. She was assisted by capable administrative staff, namely Tonya Gage and Blythe Shupe.  
Jennifer Mie Kajiyama Tinkham led a team of student delegates from BYU Hawaii who provided on the ground support at the conference.  

Much organizational support was also provided by the the Church’s Pacific Area Office team in Auckland, with special acknowledgement to Rich Hunter (Pacific Area Communications Director), Paul Rytting (Pacific Area Legal Counsel) and, for her extraordinary efforts to pull the Conference together on the ground in Auckland, Sister Lily Sloan (Church Service Missionary, Pacific Area Office).

Law Society leaders Matthew Pawson (Pacific Area Chair) and Soraya Barker (Pacific Area Leadership Team) also served on the organizing committee, and Soraya’s efforts were invaluable to the success of the conference.  Additionally, long-time JRCLS member, supporter and leader of the JRCLS Pacific Area, Dr. Keith Thompson, was instrumental in identifying and assembling the distinguished speaker panels.   

The Law Society was also well represented by delegates at the Conference, including:

1.    Auckland Chapter: Paul Rytting, Judge Brandt Shortland (Session Moderator), Akesa Tagi (Pacific Area Board – Student Liaison) and Antonio Motuliki;

2.    Hamilton Chapter: Soraya Barker (Pacific Area Board – Women in Law), Jane McDonald (Co-Chapter Chair, Hamilton NZ Chapter), Gina Battisti-Fruean (Student Chapter Chair), Magistrate Kaye Davies, with husband, Kevin Davies, Dr Rob Joseph (Panel speaker), Sam Hood, Candace Hood, Tom Sutcliffe, Lyn Walkington, Ysatis Jones, Moana Joyce, Charmain Hayes, Jennae Matenga, Gabrielle Kershaw, Desirae Ensing, and Petula Reedy;

3.    Wellington Chapter: Moana Graham, Judge Gorden Matenga, with wife, Paula Matenga, Michelle Hamblin;

4.    Dunedin (Part of Wellington Chapter): Ana Fruean;

5.    Australia: Matthew Pawson (Pacific Area Chair) (Hobart Chapter) with wife, Kerry Pawson and daughter, Grace Pawson, and Dr Keith Thompson (Sydney Chapter), with wife Anita; 

6.    Friends of the JRCLS in New Zealand: Anthony Butters, with wife Chanelle Butters, Gary and Virgina Shortland, President Newman Soloai (Stake President of Henderson Stake) with his wife, Sister Luisa Soloai, Richard Hunter (Pacific Area Communications Director for the Church) with his wife, Laura Hunter; and

7.    Missionaries – numerous mission couples serving in the Area Office, including for the ALC, and otherwise from places far and wide, and Sister Lily Sloan. 

The Conference was an enormous success, with much positive feedback from attendees. Apart from the organizing committee and delegates who flew internationally to be at the Conference, some of the local JRCLS members drove 8 or 9 hours to be in Auckland for this event.  Their dedication and support of the religious freedom principles espoused by the Society is remarkable and very appreciated.

Due to the hard work, dedication, and selflessness of all who were involved in the planning and execution of the event, the conference was a wonderful experience and a real blessing to all those who participated and a real bridge-building opportunity for the Church, the ICLRS, the JRCLS and the inter-faith groups of New Zealand, Aotearoa.  Thank you, one and all!

For official photos from the Conference, please follow this link.  It is definitely worth a visit! Photos - 2025 New Zealand Religious Liberty Conference

For coverage in the Church News about the conference, click here: Church News Article on New Zealand Religious Liberty Conference.

For more information about the Auckland New Zealand Temple, including photos of both the

exterior and interior of the temple, click here: Auckland New Zealand Temple Open House article. ​

Additional photography from the Conference supplied by Matthew Pawson (Pacific Area Chair) and Soraya Barker (Pacific Area Board – Women in Law).