Missionaries were active in New Zealand and had been spreading God's word and selling muskets to Māori for many years. The Christian Mission Society and the Wesleyan Methodists travelled extensively throughout the northern island, achieving some success in converting many Māori to Christianity. The Reverend Henry Williams, whose CMS church was vehemently opposed to the actions of the New Zealand Company, previously spoke to Nga Pakawa and made the views of his church perfectly clear about land purchases and colonisation.
The words of Reverend Williams were familiar to all who attended the hui, but to the insecure Nga Pakawa, they unsettled and disturbed him. It was finally agreed that Nga Pakawa would accompany the other five chiefs to the Tory, keep an open mind and, with hope, thought T
