Our Vision
The Diocese through this decade is working on Regeneration. We dream of each of our ministry units being populated with new generations of believers. We pray for each of our churches to have a spread of generations in its congregations.
Our focus is on making disciples, strengthening families and building communities.
Come and join us!
Our Story
In 1850 Christchurch and the Canterbury plains and foothills were settled with migrants from Great Britain, many of whom were members of the Church of England. Anglican churches were founded. Anglican missioners shared the Good News with local Māori.
In 1856 the Diocese of Christchurch was established, Christchurch was declared a city by Queen Victoria, and Bishop Henry Harper arrived as our first bishop.
Nearly 170 years later we are onto our ninth bishop. The Diocese incorporates all of Canterbury, Westland and the Chatham Islands, divided into 54 parishes and one Cathedral ministry unit in the centre of Christchurch.
Safeguarding and Complaint Process
Safeguarding is about prevention of harm and early intervention to minimise the opportunity for the child, young person or vulnerable adult to be harmed.
If you wish to make a complaint about an office bearer in the Anglican Church (for example, a priest, deacon, bishop, licenced lay minister, trustee, etc) we encourage you to put it in writing and send it directly to the independent Registrar, either by email or post.
News and Announcements
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Read more: The Anglican Diocese does not control a property empire
The Anglican Diocese does not control a property empire
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Read more: Primatial Announcement: Bishop-elect Announced for Te Hui Amorangi ki Te
Primatial Announcement: Bishop-elect Announced for Te Hui Amorangi ki Te
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Read more: Christ Church Cathedral lit to honour NZ servicemen and women
Christ Church Cathedral lit to honour NZ servicemen and women
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Read more: Holy Week and Easter Services
Holy Week and Easter Services
Anglican e-Life
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Read more: Anglican e-Life | 5 August 2026
Anglican e-Life | 5 August 2026
Dear Friends,
Last Friday night, over 150 people gathered at Christ’s College to celebrate 170 years since the approval on 31 July 1856, by Queen Victoria, via a legal means called “Letters Patent”, for the then town of Christchurch to become the city of Christchurch, simultaneous with Bishop Harper being appointed the first Bishop of the See of Christchurch (aka the Diocese of Christchurch). Aspects of the history of Christchurch, the Diocese and the ministry of Bishop Harper were spoken to by Dame Anna Crighton, Bishop David Coles and Professor Geoffrey Rice. Recalling the travels of Bishop Harper, including falls from his horse, river crossings and accommodation sometimes in basic cottages reminded me what an easy life I have when visiting parishes. The Reverend Canon Cameron Pickering, Christ’s College, Chaplain, working with the Christchurch City Sisters committee, organised a superb evening – thank you, Cameron and team!
After inclement weather on Friday evening, and prior to the stormy weather through this week, it was a joy to travel on a perfect, windless, blue-sky day to St. Mary’s Church, Rotherham (Amuri Cooperating Parish) on Sunday. The congregation there is thriving, and it was good to see a new ramp and deck for the church hall almost completed.
The previous weekend an important Pastoral Care training day was held on Saturday 25 July 2026 at St. Timothy’s, Burnside-Harewood, led by Richard Black and arranged by the Reverend Joe Keighley, Vicar of Burnside-Harewood. This was attended by 66 highly engaged people, from 18 different parishes, spread from North Canterbury to South Canterbury. Some feedback from participants on the day has been: greater confidence in supporting people, clarity around healthy boundaries and “staying in my lane”, practical listening and questioning skills, increased confidence in knowing when to refer someone to a specialist. Overall the day was encouraging because participants left feeling equipped to care of others in our ministry units more wisely, safely and confidently.
Thank you for praying for the next meeting of General Synod – Te Hīnota Whānui (GSTHW) for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is in Tonga from Saturday 15 August to Thursday 20 August, and for a prior meeting of Pakeha representatives of the seven New Zealand dioceses in Auckland on Friday 14 August. Our representatives are Bishop Peter, Clergy: Toby Behan, Kofe Havea, Ben Truman; Lay: Jo Bean, Toupili Pamatangi , Jack Hollis, Vivienne Jackson. Rachelle Mathews, our Diocesan Manager will also be there, joining other diocesan managers as they assist the General Secretary of our church, the Reverend Michael Hughes in the running of the Synod. Papers for GSTHW are available online.
Your prayers are also coveted for our annual Synod which will be held Thursday evening 3 September to late Saturday afternoon 5 September 2026. On Thursday 3 September, at 7pm, we begin Synod with our Synod Eucharist in the Transitional Cathedral. Dean Ben Truman will be our preacher. All are welcome to this service, whether members of Synod or not. Our Synod business sessions take place through the Friday and Saturday at St. Christopher’s, Avonhead. Papers to date for the Synod are publicly available at our Diocesan website.
This coming Sunday, 9 August 2026 is Ordinary 19 and the Gospel is Matthew 14:22-33. Matthew has ‘form’ when it comes to stories involving the combination of Jesus, water, storm, disciples and faith. Here, uniquely, Matthew reports to us that in one such storm, Peter attempted to walk on water, with predictable results. The lesson Jesus wanted him (and us) to learn is about faith. Peter was doing fine (29) and then not (30). What changed? A reasonable, and popular suggestion is that he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the strong wind. His response to Jesus had been to have faith, his response to the wind was to be afraid (30). When we are afraid of something, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
Arohanui,
+Peter.
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Read more: Anglican e-Life | 29 July 2026
Anglican e-Life | 29 July 2026
Dear Friends,
It was wonderful on Sunday morning to confirm Eddie Cook at St. Paul’s, West Melton, and then at St. Columba’s, Hornby, to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Gina Bolton for her extraordinary service in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton for over 50 years.
The day before Sunday, Gareth Bezett, Director of Theology House, and I were at El Rancho, Waikanae to share in a special educational weekend in the life of our church. Through last year and this year, students taking courses towards Takiwai (Diploma of Christian studies, accredited through St. John’s College, Auckland) have been meeting for weekend teaching sessions as well as online sessions on week-day nights. Usually, these weekends are held in five different centres, including Te Waipounamu, Ferry Road, here in Christchurch. This past weekend was a gathering of all students from across North and South Islands. Gareth and I are keen to see students from the Diocese of Christchurch join the Takiwai programme in 2027. This diploma course can be completed through two years of part-time studies.
Also on Saturday, many readers of e-Life will have seen the announcement of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch that they are close to achieving the funding needed to begin work on their new Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Barbadoes Street, Christchurch. In this announcement the design of their new cathedral was revealed. I wish Bishop Michael Gielen and the Catholic Diocese well as they work on securing the funds they need ($8m) in order to begin work and a further $8m to complete the work. Let’s pray for success for them even as we pray for success for our Cathedral Project.
The next meeting of General Synod – Te Hinota Whanui (GSTHW) for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is in Tonga from Saturday 15 August to Thursday 20 August, with a prior meeting of Pakeha representatives of the seven New Zealand dioceses in Auckland on Friday 14 August. Our representatives are Bishop Peter, Clergy: Toby Behan, Kofe Havea, Ben Truman; Lay: Jo Bean, Toupili Pamatangi, Jack Hollis, Vivienne Jackson. Rachelle Mathews, our Diocesan Manager will also be there, joining other diocesan managers as they assist the General Secretary of our Church, the Reverend Michael Hughes in the running of the Synod.
Papers for GSTHW are available online. One of the major “questions of the day” to be discussed concerns the “equity” in how educational funds for theological education and ministry training in our church (distributed each year by the St. John’s College Trust Board). In preparation for this important discussion, about 40 people met at Te Waipounamu, Ferry Road, Christchurch last Friday, including six from our Diocese – some of our GSTHW representatives and two of our educators. This conversation will lead to change in the distribution of funds, and I look forward to GSTHW’s discussion in Tonga, keen to discern where the final determination of change may land.
Thank you to all who joined in Evensong at the Transitional Cathedral on Sunday evening which included the Installation of Alan Robb as a new Lay Canon of the Cathedral.
This morning in The Press there is a lovely article on the oldest primary school in Christchurch, which happens to be St. Michael’s Church School, one of our six Anglican schools in our Diocese.
After some months of difficulty with the previous lift in the Anglican Centre, Tuam Street, Christchurch, I am delighted to announce that we have a brand new lift in the building which is working reliably and is a much simpler lift to operate. This is a good time to remind readers that Theology House and its library are open, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on the first floor of the Anglican Centre.
The next month and a bit are synodically busy. Following GSTHW in a few weeks, our annual Synod will be held Thursday evening 3 September to late Saturday afternoon 5 September 2026. On Thursday evening, at 7pm, we begin Synod with our Synod Eucharist in the Transitional Cathedral. Dean Ben Truman will be our preacher. All are welcome to this service, whether members of Synod or not. Our Synod business sessions take place through the Friday and Saturday at St. Christopher’s, Avonhead. Please pray for your clergy and lay synod representatives, along with Anglican Centre staff as we prepare for the Synod. Papers to date for the Synod are publicly available at our Diocesan website.
This coming Sunday, 2 August 2026 is Ordinary 18 and the Gospel is Matthew 14:13-21. Compassion features in two ways in this story. Seeing a great crowd, Jesus “had compassion for them and cured their sick” (14). Then the disciples, lacking compassion, wanted the crowd sent away to fend for themselves as the evening came (15). By contrast, Jesus refuted their proposal, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (16). To whom do we need to show compassion this week?
Arohanui,
+Peter.
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Read more: Anglican e-Life | 22 July 2026
Anglican e-Life | 22 July 2026
Dear Friends,
It was a privilege to participate in three memorable events this past weekend.
The Abbey, a gathering of youth ministry leaders from across Tikanga Pakeha, took place at Living Springs from Friday to Sunday. Among the lead speakers were Matt and Zara Maslin (Bryndwr). The musical lead in our worship came from a musical team mostly drawn from local parishes and co-ordinated by Paul Hegglun (Diocesan Under 40s ministry). About 140 people gathered for this weekend from the seven dioceses of Tikanga Pakeha. Please read an excellent report on the conference published on Taonga. Thank you for praying for this conference.
On Sunday morning (a session at The Abbey), Sunday evening at the Transitional Cathedral and Monday morning at All Souls Church, Merivale, many were able to hear Palestinian Christian theologians, Dr Lamma Mansour and Dr Youssef Khoury speak with theological insight and reflection on the situation Palestinians experience in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank – with reference to both the experience of violence and suffering in recent times and the longer term experience of dispossession and severe constraints on usual freedoms for human beings through many decades since 1948. I took many notes but the most striking thing I heard was how the overall approach of the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians is to de-humanise Palestinians, to treat fellow human beings as less than human. De-humanisation is inconsistent not only with Christian belief but also with Jewish belief: our common ground in Genesis 1 is that every person has been created in the image of God. A specifically Christian challenge in this situation is highlighted by something we may miss in the story of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4). When Jesus announced that Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 61 was fulfilled that day, the congregation applauded him. When he went on to recall the healing of Naaman the Syrian and thus to proclaim that the kingdom of God was ethnically inclusive rather than exclusive, the congregation tried to kill Jesus. What is happening in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank today is incompatible with the reign of the God of Jesus Christ on earth.
Early Sunday afternoon we were able to share in lunch at the Hororata Community Hall as part of 150th anniversary celebrations of the First Church of Hororata (i.e. the wooden church on the opposite side of Hororata Road from St. John’s stone church). It was an excellent lunch which topped off a lot of hard work by local organisers for this important occasion. The First Church, incidentally, began its life as a church across the road from where it is now located. In order to make room for the then new stone church (built in 1910), it was moved from that site but only made it late on a Saturday to the middle of the road. The next morning a service was held in the church before it was further rolled off the road to its present location.
This Sunday at 5pm all are welcome to Evensong at the Transitional Cathedral during which Alan Robb will be installed as a new Lay Canon of the Cathedral. I will be the preacher.
Let’s keep praying for peace and justice in our world, and especially in the Middle East where we see conflicts failing to cease, and in the case of action on the Red Sea this week, broaden to the peril of the wider world. An important observation made by our visiting theologians (as mentioned above) is that justice is the cost of peace. While a ceasefire which lasts would be wonderful, a ceasefire is not a just peace. Let’s pray for both an immediate ceasefire and a lasting, just peace.
This coming Sunday, 26 July 2026 is Ordinary 17 and the Gospel is Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52. “The kingdom of heaven is like…”. Through a series of parables (or, a stricter definition, “similitudes” because the kingdom of heaven is illustrated by a series of “similar” things), Jesus teaches about the kingdom of heaven. What do we find helpful in this teaching? What moves us by this teaching? How might we experience life in God’s kingdom as “treasure” (v. 52) so that we are enriched by this way of life?
Arohanui,
+Peter.
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Read more: Anglican e-Life | 15 July 2026
Anglican e-Life | 15 July 2026
Dear Friends,
It has been lovely over the past few days to learn of ways in which churches in our Diocese have creatively and thoughtfully celebrated Matariki. Attending a secular celebration of Matariki on Saturday, I noticed and have reflected on an emerging tendency as we embrace Matariki to write into the concept of Matariki what we wish, including investing in these stars certain powers to influence the course of the year ahead. As Christians, let’s always proclaim that it is the Creator who made the stars who rules the universe and not the stars themselves.
On a cold, wet winter’s night last Wednesday it was wonderful to share with parishioners of Temuka-Te Ngawai and visitors in the Induction of the Reverend Sue Paton as the new Vicar of the Parish of Temuka-Te Ngawai. Please pray for Sue and Josh, her husband as they settle into life and ministry in this parish.
Remaining in South Canterbury: I am very pleased to announce that the Reverend Brett Roberts, Vicar of Balclutha, will be the next Vicar of St Mary’s, Timaru, beginning on Sunday, 4 October. Please pray for Brett and Ella, and their children as they prepare to move to this new appointment.
I am also very pleased to report that the Reverend Tim Handley, our Missioner Priest in the Parish of Westland, has been re-appointed to this post for a further three years. Please pray for Tim and Kathryn as they continue their missional and ministry leadership in this large parish which runs from just south of Kumara to Jacksons Bay.
The Abbey begins at Living Springs, this Friday 17 to Sunday 19 July. Please pray for safe travelling for those attending, for speakers and workshop leaders, and for the music ministry team, and that all participants will be spiritually blessed through this gathering.
A final notice about the Christchurch part in an NZ speaking tour for widely-respected Palestinian Christian Theologians Dr Lamma Mansour and Dr Yousef Khoury in July. All are welcome to the following public events: Christchurch Transitional Cathedral-7pm, Sun 19 July; Oxford Terrace Baptist Church-7pm, Mon 20 July. During the weekend 17-19 July, Yousef will preach at St Aidan’s, Bryndwr’s 10am Sunday service, and Lamma will be speaking at The Abbey, at Living Springs.
An important pastoral care course, previously advertised in e-Life takes place on Saturday 25 July. This Pastoral Care course takes place 9.30am to 4pm, Saturday 25 July 2026 at St Timothy’s, Burnside. The course is suitable for pastoral carers, ministers, chaplains, youth workers, small group leaders, community ministries, and anyone wanting to extend skills in this area. Registrations close this Monday, 20 July. Places are still available. Further details can be found in this e-Life at Pastoral Care 101: Pastoral Conversations.
The Reverend Canon Bosco Peters has published an updated, 2026 version of his latest liturgical work, Book of Prayers in Common Today. This publication provides collects for Sundays and other important days which are common to (at least) Anglican and Catholic worship traditions. It is available for access and/or downloading on his website.
Last Thursday evening it was good to take part in Leave No Voice Uncounted, a workshop run by Common Grace Aotearoa Co-Director Kate Day. An important “work on” from this event is this: we can all gently and quietly encourage people we know—family members, friends, fellow parishioners—to make sure they are enrolled to vote in this year’s election. Recently, rules about enrolment were changed by our government, so that enrolment on election day itself is no longer possible. Enrolments must take place before the election voting period begins, that is, by midnight Sunday 25 October 2026.
Some links to reading relevant to recent or continuing matters of our day:
On the recent Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Belfast.
On AI, an “Anglican” view is offered here.
This coming Sunday, 19 July 2026 is Ordinary 16 and the Gospel is Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. What is the kingdom in view here? A strong clue seems to be in verse 38, ‘the field is the world’. Jesus has the whole world in view here and the spread of the kingdom of heaven through it. More than church congregational life is being considered in this parable. Life in the world, lived under the rule of God involves the children of the kingdom and the children of the evil one mixing together societally. The parable and its interpretation is a specific command for the kingdom children to refrain from attempting to carry out God’s judgment. What are children of the kingdom to do? The application of the passage is, in the end, plain for us: remain faithful to our calling as children of the kingdom, bearing grain (i.e. living fruitful lives for God), avoid becoming “weeds”, refrain from playing the role of God as judge, and patiently endure the presence of evil people in the world.
Arohanui,
+Peter.
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What is faith?
Is Christianity true?
What happens when I die?
Finding faith in a busy world.
Coming soon: We talk to 5 people with fresh stories of finding faith & community.
Our Purpose
To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
To respond to human need by loving service
To pursue peace and reconciliation
Protect the integrity of creation, sustain and renew the life of the earth