Dear Friends,
Please pray for all our Easter Campers preparing to head to Spencer Park, Christchurch, tomorrow, Maundy Thursday, to share in teaching, worship, fellowship and fun. Pray for excellent camping weather, and for the speakers and workshop leaders preparing their contributions to the camp.
Yesterday, there were two Chrism Eucharist services: at St Christopher’s, Avonhead in the morning and at St Mary’s, Geraldine in the evening where clergy reaffirmed their ordination vows. Last week, the nationwide Diocesan Children and Families Ministry Enablers met in Christchurch.
I am very pleased to announce two new parish appointments, announced in the respective parishes last Sunday. The Reverend Dr Meg Harvey will be the Vicar of Highfield, Kensington and Otipua (0.8 FTE) and the Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Marchwiel (0.2 FTE). Meg will begin on Friday 1 May 2026, with her Induction service taking place that evening in St. John’s, Highfield, Timaru. Meg is well-known to us having served in our Diocese since her ordination, most recently being Vicar of Amberley. The Reverend Sue Paton will be the Vicar of Temuka-Te Ngawai (1.0 FTE). She will begin on Monday 6 July with her Induction at 6pm, Wednesday 8 July 2026, in St. Peter’s, Temuka. Sue is currently the Precentor in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington. Previously she served as Chaplain and Teacher at Wanganui Collegiate and St. George’s Schools, Whanganui. Sue’s origins, including ministry training and ordination were in South Africa, where she served for 16 years before moving to New Zealand with her husband Josh and their children.
Please give thanks to God for these appointments. Pray for Meg and Sue as they prepare for their new roles and for their respective parishes as they prepare for the arrivals of their new vicars. Please keep praying about other vacancies in the Diocese, that God will supply workers for the vineyard.
In the search for a new Pihopa o Te Waipounamu, two candidates have been announced for the election set down for Friday 17- Saturday 18 April 20-26: the Venerable Hannah Pomare and the Venerable Susan Wallace. Further details can be read here. Please pray for Hannah, Susan and all the electors within Te Waipounamu as they prepare for the electoral hui in two weeks.
The latest edition of AnglicanLife, our magazine, is available to read online. The theme of this edition is “Light in the Darkness” and it offers excellent reflections in this season of Holy Week and Easter.
Thank you to everyone in the Diocese who made a submission in favour of the Christchurch City Council investing funding in four key heritage projects in our city, including Christ Church Cathedral. I am also grateful to Winston Peters, in his capacity as leader of New Zealand First, announcing last Friday afternoon, that, if in position to be a partner in the next coalition government, he will negotiate for $15m of central government funds to be made available to the Cathedral project. In response to people asking me whether this means Anglicans should vote for NZ First, I share this response with you:
“No, but please pray that every voter who has indicated in polls that they will vote for NZ First does indeed do so.”
There has been quite a lot of talk about “A Quiet Revival” taking place in churches in Western countries, with a specific statistical report underpinning this concept for the UK. Then, a few days ago, it was revealed that the statistical analysis of UK survey data was flawed. Quite a flurry of comment has taken place since then. For one careful reflection of what this is all about, I commend reading Bishop Graham Tomlin‘s commentary here.
The final March 2026 Quiet Day was on Saturday 28 March at St. Alban’s, Pleasant Point. It has been a privilege to conduct the Bible studies on John 1-13 through these Saturday mornings and to have Archdeacon Nick Mountfort lead the gatherings in prayer during the afternoons. It was wonderful to be at worship at St. Alban’s, Pleasant Point in the Parish of Temuka-Te Ngawai on Sunday morning.
Through last weekend, the Cursillo Movement within our Diocese led a weekend short course in discipleship at Cracoft, Cashmere. I enjoyed being with participants in this weekend during the closing events of Sunday afternoon, including a closing Eucharist. Thank you to all who contributed to the preparation for and experience of this Cursillo event.
Some readers may have seen a TV news item about me offering a blessing for Te Kaha Stadium, during its official opening on Friday morning. It was a privilege to be asked to do this, and I am delighted that the clip on TV One News captured the moment when I spoke the name of Jesus Christ. The stadium is amazing and I am looking forward to being there one day for a sports event or music concert. Nevertheless, the stadium will pose some challenges for our services at the Transitional Cathedral. This Sunday, for example, will be a test case: 8,000 fans are due at the stadium at 5pm to watch the Warriors play a game on the big screens, at the same time as the Cathedral’s Easter Day Evensong.
Pope Leo has written a beautiful letter of support to Archbishop Sarah Mullaly on the occasion of her installation as Archbishop of Canterbury. His letter can be read here. In a world of division and war, the importance of Christians demonstrating unity has never been more important.
This Holy Week, we journey with Jesus to the cross. May all our services, especially services tomorrow night, Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, those held through the day on Good Friday, and then vigils on Holy Saturday deepen our heart identification with Jesus who lived, suffered, died and was buried for our sakes, that we might be reconciled to God.
Then, this coming Sunday, 5 April 2026, Easter Sunday, let’s hear the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ afresh. The Gospel reading is Matthew 28:1-10 and the Epistle reading is Colossians 3:1-4. We tell the story of Jesus rising from the dead and revealing himself to his followers (the Gospel). We also reflect on what the resurrection of Jesus means for our daily lives in 2026 as we follow Jesus and live in the power of his resurrection life (the Epistle).
Finally, please note there will be no e-Life next Wednesday 8 April.
Arohanui,
+Peter.