Keeping Faith in our community

Religious trends in our city and surrounding region are set to be examined as the Keeping Faith exhibition opens at Waikato Museum tomorrow [13 October], highlighting a further dimension to the museum’s commitment to expressing our city’s unique heritage and showcasing stories from our local community.

Keeping Faith is a major Social History exhibition based on the theme of religious diversity. The exhibition comprises an examination of nine prominent religious groups in Hamilton and the wider Waikato region through photographs, religious items, audiovisuals, music and a series of panel discussions.

The nine religious groups comprising the exhibition are: Anglican; Buddhist; Catholic; Elim; Hindu; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon); Islam; Te Haahi Ratana; and Sikh.

Waikato Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala says Keeping Faith is a thought-provoking yet interactive experience that offers patrons an opportunity to not only view displays and presentations of the nine featured religions but also put forward their questions to key local and national speakers.

"Keeping Faith offers museum visitors a unique window into the religious beliefs, practices and customs of nine prominent faiths that are actively practiced by many in our city and surrounding region. The exhibition aims to encourage mutual respect in our community. A unique aspect of Keeping Faith is the opportunity for members of the public to bring their questions and put these to key local and national speakers through a series of panel discussions on a variety of religious themes and topics. The panel discussions offer a safe place to ask questions and share thoughts and experiences of the diversity of religious practices and the place and impact of religion in our community and society.”

The Keeping Faith exhibition is sponsored by the Todd Foundation and RadioLIVE.