The Third Ecumenical Youth Conference

This early National Film Unit TV production captures young Christians descending on Lower Hutt from around the globe. Kicking off in December 1960, the Third Ecumenical Youth Conference brought 1600 people together to discuss how to unite different strands of Christianity in the space age. As well as tackling disunity in a world where technology was bringing everyone closer together, there was plenty of time for singing and dancing. Broadcaster and future reverend Gavin Yates hosts the film; later he became the Anglican Dean of Nelson. This documentary is one of the oldest surviving Kiwi TV programmes.

I do feel perhaps that this might be the clue to the problem of living in the space age; that in exactly the same way, God is drawing the nations of the Earth together by the miracles of modern technology, so that we can learn to be one family, so that we can see his purpose for our life, and learn by faith to break down the barriers that divide us, and finally, to be at one with him, and one another.

– Reverend Gavin Yates