Dear Friends,
I am delighted to announce the following appointments:
The Reverend Dr Joshua Taylor, Vicar of Avonhead, will also have the role of Archdeacon of Selwyn-Tawera, from Monday, 1 June 2026. He will replace Archdeacon Nick Mountfort who will remain our Archdeacon for Ministry.
As part of Archdeacon Nick Mountfort‘s responsibilities, he will become Parish Enabler for the Parish of Hororata from Friday, 1 May 2026 (a 0.2 FTE role). Nick takes on this role after the Reverend Dr Tom Innes has offered interim eucharistic and pastoral ministry for the past year. Tom will continue to be available to the parish for funeral ministry—thank you, Tom!
Archdeacon Indrea Alexander, Vicar of Ashburton and Archdeacon of Mid-Canterbury, will add to her ministry responsibilities by becoming the Acting Archdeacon of South Canterbury from Monday, 25 May to Wednesday, 30 September 2026. Readers may recall that Archdeacon Ben Randall’s last Sunday as Vicar of Timaru and Archdeacon of South Canterbury is Sunday, 24 May 2026.
The Reverend Sue Dickson will be Interim Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Timaru from Monday 25 May until we induct a new vicar for that parish.
I love attending the ANZAC Day Citizens’ Service at the Transitional Cathedral – as always, at 10am—all welcome to this service. Readers may wonder about travel arrangements to the Transitional Cathedral for this particular weekend—the opening of the new stadium with five Super Rugby games across three days. Arrangements in respect of when streets near the cathedral are open or closed are as follows:
Saturday, ANZAC Day: There will be full access to the Cathedral for the 10am Citizens’ Service. The road closures start at 2pm.
Sunday: Please use the grassed area off Hereford St. The road closures start at 11am so there will be no issues getting to the Cathedral for the 8am and 10am services. For those leaving the Cathedral after the 10am service, you will exit the carpark onto Hereford Street and head north round Latimer Square. The Sunday evening service will be more difficult with roads closed before it starts and it is likely that there will be no access to the car park. Road closures are in place: Friday, April 24 4.30pm-11.59pm; Saturday, April 25 2pm-11.59pm; Sunday, April 26 11am–9.30pm.
Speaking of ANZAC Day, this year we are repeating what happened last year: Christ Church Cathedral will be illuminated in red to commemorate all New Zealanders who have sacrificed in service of the country. From dusk to dawn, for the days preceding and including Anzac Day, the western façade of the Cathedral will shine poppy-red as a commemorative tribute to this important day. For further details, please see elsewhere in this e-Life.
I give advance notice here of an important training opportunity in Pastoral Care, 9.30am to 4pm, Saturday 25 July 2026 at St. Timothy’s, Burnside. Further details may be read elsewhere in this e-Life at Pastoral Care 101: Pastoral Conversations.
Along with CCRL board and staff I would like to thank everyone who took the opportunity to ‘Speak Up’ for the Christ Church Cathedral Re:Opening Project as part of the Christchurch City Council’s consultation on their annual plan. If interested, you can view my presentation on behalf of the Diocese which is in this e-Life.
I want to gratefully acknowledge again the work of Veronica Cross, the Bishop’s EA (2016-26) which concluded last Friday when Veronica retired from the role. I am delighted that she is truly able to leave her role by beginning an overseas trip with David her husband this week.
On Monday this week, Sarah Dunning began her work as Interim Bishop’s EA for three months. Sarah may be contacted at bishopsea@anglicanlife.org.nz (the same address as for Veronica). Sarah will also continue in her current role as part-time Librarian for Theology House.
Archdeacon Nick Mountfort is promoting opportunities to learn how to pray through half-day workshops to encourage one another in the life of prayer. Different traditions and styles will be offered, and those styles of prayer will be practised them. This offering is a follow up to a resolution of our Synod in 2025. Please find further details further on in e-Life at “Connected to the Vine” prayer workshops.
Last week our Diocesan Children and Family Ministry Developer, Azaria Brooker, successfully led three days of School Holiday Programme: in All Saints, Methven, in St Stephen’s Ashburton and in St Mark’s, Rakaia. Thank you, Azaria and your team of assistants!
The Induction Service for the Reverend Dr Meg Harvey, who 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), will take place at 7 pm, on Friday 1 May 2026, at St John’s, Highfield, Timaru. All are welcome. Clergy robing, please wear alb and red stole.
It was a privilege to be a participant last Friday in the opening events of the Electoral Synod for a new Pīhopa o Te Waipounamu. The election itself took place on Saturday. According to the statutory process of our church, this week involves members of the General Synod/Te Hinota Whanui being invited to sanction the nomination from the Electoral Synod. Once the sanctioning process is completed, an announcement will be made.
This coming Sunday, 26 April 2026, Easter 4, also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”, the Gospel reading is John 10:1-10. Perhaps in this year of division between President and Pope we could ask questions in relation to this reading such as “What or whom does Christ our Good Shepherd protect the church from?”
Arohanui,
+Peter.