Anglican e-Life

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Anglican e-Life | 14 May 2025

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Dear Friends,

Thank you for praying for this week’s Clergy Conference (today is our final day of meeting). The theme of our conference is Reimagining the Future. What could we and should we change in our Diocese as we move forward in Regeneration of our Diocese, as change in society continues and as all ministry units face rising costs of ministry and property. Our deliberations will feed into proposals coming to this year’s Synod as we seek to be a Diocese which as far as possible within our canons, statutes and Acts of Parliament seeks to be adaptable to changing contexts for the ministry of the Gospel.

While at our conference we have been enjoying meeting in the new community centre at All Saints’, Burwood in the Parish of Shirley. It was a privilege to take part in the opening of the centre on Sunday afternoon with Mayor Phil Mauger, in a centre filled with congregational members, local community supporters and political leaders. I congratulate the Reverend Dr Carolyn Robertson and her parish team, the external contractors and CPT staff who have worked so hard through several years to ensure the vision for this building became a reality.

I remind you of two calls to prayer: A Call to Prayer for our younger generations, our first third, is being planned for 5pm, Sunday 25 May 2025. This is at the end of Youth Week and the invitation and encouragement is for Christians to gather in small or large groups to prayer for our tamariki, our children, our rangatahi, our young people. Then, the Reverend Tim Handley (Westland), on behalf of the Diocese, is working on a Day of Prayer, 9am to 5pm, Saturday 7 June 2025. Further details about are being mailed out to ministry unit leaders and to all members of the Diocesan Prayer Community.

Christ Church Cathedral in the Square has been in the news this past week. First, Frank Films has published an 8-minute video online about “When will Christchurch get its heart back? – Cathedral Square”. Secondly, Chris Lynch has published a responsive opinion piece titled “The Cathedral doesn’t define Christchurch and it’s time to stop pretending it does”

Meanwhile, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited (CCRL) is quietly moving forward in continuing work on how we might complete the cathedral. No one can disagree with Chris Lynch that a significant focus of inner-city life in Christchurch is currently in and around the Riverside Market. My disagreement with Chris is that we have not gotten a completed Square yet – it is not only the cathedral that needs completing but also the vacant sections around the Square, along with cafes and restaurants to supplement the few that are already there. A completed Square, with a buzzing Te Pae, our well used Tūranga – main city library, and people moving in and out of hotels, offices, cafes and restaurants, sitting midway between the Riverside market, inner city shops and the arts precinct with a busy Court Theatre, Theatre Royal and The Piano, will take on a life of its own. If only we have a vision to see what can be rather than what currently is not.

It is very distressing to read and hear global news these days. There is no peace in our world. The situation in Gaza is horrible. Ukraine remains a killing field despite promises of ceasefire talks. India and Pakistan have a fragile ceasefire following exchanges of fire against each other. Pray for peace!

All are welcome to the Hura Kōhatu (unveiling of the grave) for the late Bishop Richard Wallace at 11am Wairewa [Little River] Urupā Saturday, 31 May 2025 followed by Hākari at Te Pā Mihinare o Te Waipounamu, 290 Ferry Road, Waltham. Please RSVP to admin@waipounamu.org.nz

This coming Sunday, 18 May is Easter 5. The Gospel reading is John 13:31-35. “By this love you have for one another everyone will now that you are my disciples.” Let us never underestimate the power and the impact of the love we have for one another.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 7 May 2025

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Dear Friends,

Last Thursday I was in Auckland with the Reverends Meg Harvey, Tim Handley, Margaret Neate and Archdeacons Katrina Hill and Dawn Baldwin for a Tikanga Pakeha consultation on flourishing small churches, facilitated by the Tikanga Pakeha Ministry Council. As we lean into Regeneration in our Diocese in this decade, it was important to gain wisdom from this event, some of which will be shared at our Clergy Conference next week, 12-14 May, at All Saints, Burwood in the Parish of Shirley.

Please pray for clergy as we gather for our conference. We will be focusing on some big questions as we engage with challenges facing our Diocese such as how we offer effective ministry and engage in the mission of Jesus in our communities while pressed hard by financial issues such as parishes unable to support a full stipend and increasing costs of property stressing budgets for all our ministry units.

While at our conference we will be enjoying meeting in the new building at All Saints’ and I remind you that all are welcome at the formal opening of this building on New Brighton Road at 1pm this Sunday 11 May 2025.

The Reverend Jacqui Stevenson announced on Sunday that she is concluding her ministry as Vicar of St. Aidan’s, Bryndwr on Sunday 3 August 2025. Jacqui will have been Vicar of Bryndwr for 12 years. I will say more nearer the time of her final Sunday, suffice to say for now that I am very grateful for Jacqui’s faithful leadership of this parish and consistent work in development of the mission of the parish in its local neighbourhoods.

This week is the last week for the Reverends Christine and John de Senna serving the Diocese as Chaplains to the Retired Clergy, Widows and Widowers. Thank you, Christine and John for your ministry in this joint role. You have pastored our senior clergy and their families with love, faithfulness and great care. I hope I can announce a new appointment soon.

Congratulations to the Reverend Graham and Alison Button who celebrate 60 years of marriage this week!

Last weekend we held our regular Diocesan Discernment Weekend at Te Waiora House, Hororata. It is always a privilege to work with those who are discerning a call to ordination and with those who advise me in this process. I thank our Diocesan Director of Ordination, the Reverend Jenny Wilkens for her leadership of the weekend, for the commitment of our advisors and discernees to good process, and to the volunteer staff at Te Waiora House for their warm hospitality and and excellent cooking.

On Sunday afternoon, Teresa and I participated in a Patronal Service for St. George’s Hospital, led by the Reverend Jeff Cotton, Chaplain to the Hospital. I think it is the first time I have preached on St. George – one of the more colourful saints and an intriguing figure for whom there are definitely more legends than facts, and who is claimed as significant by more nations than England. My researches for the sermon uncovered an interesting idea of Canon Wilford (the driving force behind the establishment of St. George’s) that St. George was a good name for the hospital because it would be slaying the dragon of ill-health. The name is also associated with the hope of Canon Wilford that invoking the patron saint of England might help solicit funds from England. This idea was not particularly successful. The hospital today, thankfully, is a great success as part of the network of hospitals, both public and private, across Christchurch which offer an array of medical services.

Nothing worthwhile in the service of our God is achieved without prayer. I remind you of two calls to prayer: A Call to Prayer for our younger generations, our first third, is being planned for 5pm, Sunday 25 May 2025. This is at the end of Youth Week and the invitation and encouragement is for Christians to gather in small or large groups to prayer for our tamariki, our children, our rangatahi, our young people. Then, the Reverend Tim Handley (Westland), on behalf of the Diocese, is working on a Day of Prayer, now confirmed for 9am to 5pm, Saturday 7 June 2025, which will see people across our Diocese joining with people from the Dioceses of Sheffield, Bondo [Kenya] and Argentina praying for God’s mission in the world as part of “Thy Kingdom Come” – a global, ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. Further details about this will be mailed out soon to ministry unit leaders and to all members of the Diocesan Prayer Community.

Licensed ministers being in supervision is vital for a flourishing church and for us to be a safe church. I am delighted to learn that three more people in the Canterbury region have completed the CAIRA Pastoral and Professional Supervision Training, including one of our clergy, the Reverend Victoria Askin.

This year is the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical or universal council of the church of God, which was decisive in determining the orthodox understanding of Jesus Christ as fully God as well as human, and thus dealt with the so-called Arian controversy in which Arius asserted that Jesus as Son of God was created by God and subordinate to God. When we say the Nicene Creed in our services we are reciting a creed substantially set out and agreed to by this Council. The creed we say is an amended version of the first Nicene Creed and was agreed to at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. To celebrate the significance of the First Council of Nicaea, all are welcome, and especially from all churches, to a service at 5 pm Sunday 15 June 2025 in the Transitional Cathedral. Sunday 15 June is Trinity Sunday and thus a most appropriate Sunday for our ecumenical service.

The Conclave to elect a new Pope is underway. Please pray for the cardinals that they will clearly hear the voice of God in these proceedings. This morning I read a beautifully expressed article by local Catholic priest, Father John O’Connor in the online Press. John relates the proceedings to the movie Conclave which many readers here will have seen this year.

This coming Sunday, 11 May is Easter 4 (also known as Good Shepherd Sunday).The Gospel reading is John 10:22-30. In the last verse of this passage, the Good Shepherd moves on from talking about his role as shepherd to making a theological claim which turns the world of theology upside down: “The Father and I are one.” John’s Gospel turns on this claim about who Jesus really is, the human being from Nazareth is one being with the God of the whole world.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 30 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

Last Friday, ANZAC Day, was a busy day for Dean Ben Truman, who took a leading part in the Dawn Service in Cathedral Square and then led the Civic Service in the Transitional Cathedral at 10am. I was able to be part of the crowd for the Dawn Service and loved seeing Christ Church Cathedral illuminated in “poppy” red to commemorate New Zealand’s fallen. At the Civic Service, numbers were down a little on previous years and I wonder if that was due to the school holidays and ANZAC Day being the first day of a long weekend.

At midday, Teresa and I were privileged to join with several lay and ordained Anglican colleagues at St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral, Manchester Street, for a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis, presided over by Bishop Michael Gielen. Then on Saturday evening many readers will have watched the livestream of the funeral in Rome itself for Pope Francis. It is very clear from everything being said and written at this time that Francis made an impact on people around our globe: Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, atheists, members of other world faiths and, noting the leaders who gathered, politicians of all parts of the political spectrum.

Planning for our annual Synod in September is underway. In respect of Diocesan youth representatives for the Synod we would like to invite parishes / ministry units with young people aged between 16-24 years old who would be interested in attending synod as a Diocesan Youth Rep to send in nominations. It’s super simple – just fill in the form here. Diocesan youth reps have voice and vote at Synod. Nominations need to be made by this Friday, 2 May. If you have any questions, please contact Rev’d Sammy Mould by email or phone.

Also on the subject of youth in our church and in our nation, A Call to Prayer for our younger generations, our first third, is being planned for 5pm, Sunday 25 May 2025. This is at the end of Youth Week and the invitation and encouragement is for Christians to gather in small or large groups to prayer for our tamariki, our children, our rangatahi, our young people.

Then, continuing the theme of prayer, the Reverend Tim Handley (Westland), on behalf of the Diocese, is working on a Day of Prayer, most likely Saturday 7 June 2025, which will see people across our Diocese joining with people from the Dioceses of Sheffield, Bondo [Kenya] and Argentina praying for God’s mission in the world as part of “Thy Kingdom Come” – a global, ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. Details to come!

I am delighted to announce that Debbie Johnston has joined the CPT finance team as replacement CPT Finance Manager for Ashley South who is retiring in a few months’ time, before Synod in September. Debbie worked for us in 2019, and is pleased to be backing working with us. Debbie looks forward to working with clergy and parish officers on investment funds and related matters for our ministry units.

In further news from CPT: St. James The Great Church at Riccarton Road was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes and it was subsequently decided not to repair the church. St. James Church was deconsecrated by Bishop Victoria. Efforts to sell St. James Church for use as a church or repurposed for other uses have been unsuccessful due to the significant cost of repair and heritage restrictions. With the Christchurch City Council recently removing its heritage status, the option to deconstruct St. James Church can proceed in order to offer a “clean” site for sale without the encumbrance of a damaged building. The Parish of Riccarton-Spreydon has removed all items from inside the church which they consider of importance. The South Island Organ Company has successfully removed the pipe organ, and Stewart Stained Glass Windows have removed the commemorative windows. Deconstruction of St. James is expected to start in early May. After deconstruction is completed, the cleared site will be advertised for sale. The Church House office premises along with space for carparking at the western end of the site will remain as parish property.

I want to acknowledge with much gratitude the work of the Reverend Anne Russell-Brighty as director of the Elder Care programme for Anglican Care in our Diocese. Anne’s last official day in the role was Tuesday, 8 April 2025. Elder Care was begun by Anne in 2013 in response to the earthquakes. Elder Care groups were set up in parishes, along the lines of a Selwyn Centre model, intended to prevent social isolation among older people and to offer a strong emphasis on all aspects of health and well-being. The first two groups were held at Burwood and Opawa, with Fendalton/Merivale following soon after. Thank you, Anne for your 12 years of faithful ministry which has seen groups across the breadth of our Diocese flourish.

On Sunday I was delighted to meet with the Reverend Geoff and Gayle Lamason. Geoff and Gayle are living in the Papanui vicarage for the next few months while the Reverend Tim Frank, Vicar of Papanui, is on study leave and away with his family from everyday life in the parish and vicarage. Geoff and Gayle have temporarily moved to Christchurch from their usual ministries in Te Aroha in the Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki. Thank you for coming to us!

The formal opening of the new building at All Saints’, Burwood, in the Parish of Shirley, which will involve both the Mayor of Christchurch, Phil Mauger, and myself, will be at 1 pm, Sunday 11 May. All welcome.

Some good news I noticed recently concerns signs in our near neighbour, Australia, that people are turning to Christianity.

I am appreciating being part of regular Zoom meetings with colleagues here learning about “Building a Discipling Culture“. Discipleship is one of three key themes for our Diocesan work on Regeneration of our congregations. In last week’s session with our mentor, Tim Piesse (Crossways church, Melbourne) I love this description of the heart of Discipleship: it is all about the words, works and ways of Jesus.

As we move through these confusing times, it is important that we engage with ways and means of improving social cohesion. I commend to you a session being planned with local lawyer and charities expert, Steven Moe and well-known Kiwi economist Shamubeel Eaqub, on Friday 9 May: further info here.

One part of current confusion is attempting to understand why the National-led government is pressing hard on the question of taxing charities. Despite some excellent arguments against taxing charities, including charities such as churches (for a recent example in The Press, see Alex Penk writing this week in The Press online), it appears that Finance Minister Nicola Willis is determined to continue this hard press against us, even though it may only yield $50m from across the whole sector. Charities, of course, contribute significantly to social cohesion in society!

This coming Sunday, 27 April is Easter 3. The Gospel reading is John 21:1-19. Who would not want to have breakfast on a beach with the risen Jesus? The seven disciples in this story are surprised by the presence of their risen Lord. But Jesus has a message for them and for Simon Peter in particular: they are to follow him. Peter is restored to full relationship with Jesus, indicated by Jesus’ threefold dialogue with him. We too are called by Jesus to follow him… wherever that may lead. For Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple that would be two different life stories, as predicted by Jesus in this text.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 23 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

Pope Francis has died and many deserved tributes are being made about him as a disciple of Christ who made an impact on our world with the message of the love of God for all.

My own small, additional reflection is to observe that it seemed natural to speak about “Francis” without any sense that not calling him “Pope Francis” was being disrespectful, and with confidence that everyone in the conversation knew exactly to whom reference was being made. Francis was humble, open-hearted and always “for others” so that I and others felt we knew him though not having met him, and that he was our friend and fellow disciple rather than the humanly-speaking most powerful church leader on our planet. Our Archbishops have made a Primatial Statement of Condolences here.

This Friday at 12.05pm at St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral, Manchester Street, Christchurch, Bishop Michael Gielen will preside at a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis. Teresa and I plan to be present at this service in order to honour Francis and to support our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. A special food collection will take place at the Mass for the St Vincent de Paul Society, in memory of Pope Francis and in support of the poor.

Our experience of services from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, including services at St. Bartholomew’s, Kaiapoi and the Transitional Cathedral, prompts me to thank everyone – clergy, laity, musicians, actors, etc – who put a great deal of time, energy and sheer hard work into ensuring that services across our Diocese through these special, holy days were well prepared, apt for the occasion and focused on the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you!

I also draw your attention to a Primatial Statement by our Archbishops on Holy Week and Easter here. Included in that statement is this pertinent message:

“In a world that can feel chaotic and led by power-driven leadership, Easter cuts through with a radically different message: a God who empties himself in love, whose power is shown in humility and grace. This story of redemption, of death overcome by life, could not be more relevant today. While some may claim to declare their own version of “Liberation Day,” Easter has always been, and will always be, the true day of liberation.”

Simultaneously with the ministry offered across the Diocese in our ministry units, many young people, their leaders and camp parents were at Easter Camp at Spencer Park, engaging with plenary speakers, seminar leaders and various activities in miserable weather conditions. I thank all those involved for your commitment, resilience and good humour. It was a privilege to visit the Camp on Good Friday afternoon.

Inevitably Easter attracts media interest, some of which reiterates familiar doubts about the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. Thus, readers of The Press on Saturday were treated to the continuing convictions of New Zealand’s most controversial theologian, Sir Lloyd Geering. For contrasting media coverage, readers here may be interested in interviews with Wellington Anglican church leaders, Dean Katie Lawrence and Bishop Ana Fletcher.

Finally, in good news at Easter, I am delighted to share the news that the new building at All Saints’, Burwood, in the Parish of Shirley, has achieved building compliance and the first services were held in it over this past weekend. This build which enlarges the worship space available for one of our largest congregations has been years in the making and I congratulate the Reverend Dr Carolyn Robertson, the Shirley vestry and the many people within the parish and in the design and construction teams on achieving this success.

We have received news that Bishop ‘Afa Vaka, former Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Polynesia, based in Tonga, has died. Anglican Taonga shares his life story and news of his death.

This ANZAC Day (Friday 25 April), Christ Church Cathedral will be illuminated in red to commemorate New Zealand’s fallen during service. The Dawn Service, held in the Square itself, at 6.15am, will be an excellent opportunity to see the Cathedral in this poignant “poppy” shade of red. I remind readers that all are also welcome to a service later that morning, in the Transitional Cathedral, at 10am.

Last Wednesday I said this about Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital: “This includes a further attack this week on Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital (a Baptist owned, Anglican run hospital)”. The hospital is not owned by the Baptists. It was opened in 1882 by CMS. In 1954 it was bought by the Baptist Church but then returned to CMS in 1979 and has been Anglican-owned and operated ever since.

This coming Sunday, 27 April is Easter 2. The Gospel reading is John 20:19-31. There are two major themes in this passage. Jesus confirms that belief in him is possible without direct sight of him in his risen form. Jesus commissions his disciples: they are now sent into the world with the Good News as he himself has been sent by the Father. Many generations later, we are believers in Jesus Christ, with faith founded on the witness of Scripture to his resurrection, and his mission in the world continues through us upon whom he has breathed the Holy Spirit.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 16 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

This week is the most solemn and significant week in the Christian calendar and is rightly known as Holy Week. At the heart of our faith is the death of Jesus Christ, cruelly executed on a cross, for our sakes, that we might have abundant, eternal life in communion with the God of Jesus Christ. May we identify ever more deeply with the suffering of Jesus through these days, especially through services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Then, on Sunday, may our hearts lift as we rejoice that the power of death has been defeated by God in raising Jesus from the dead.

Please pray for Easter Camp – for all campers, staff and contributors: may the life-changing Good News of Christ be heard clearly and responded to joyfully. I look forward to visiting the camp on Friday. Some seriously bad weather is heading towards parts of NZ in the next few days, but at the time of writing the weather for Spencer Park is looking ok – some rain but also sunshine!

The situation in Gaza is, in many ways, worse than ever. The Israeli government is bent on destroying people and infrastructure. This includes a further attack this week on Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital (a Baptist owned, Anglican run hospital). Our Archbishops “… strongly denounce the missile attacks on the Anglican Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, carried out in the early hours of Palm Sunday, 13 April 2025. Run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, this hospital has long stood as a place of refuge, healing and hope — and was the last fully operational hospital in Gaza City. … We stand with the Diocese of Jerusalem and “call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and suffering of so many.”” Here is the direct link to their full statement.

Also, from Israel/West Bank, one of our young adults reports, “Jerusalem’s Palm Sunday procession was beautiful, joyous, and fitting as ever in this hopelessly oppressive context of military occupation. Thousands of Christians in a wonderful smorgasbord of cultures and faith traditions, celebrating and lamenting in various languages and intensities despite the heaviness and despair. …In the tens of thousands, West Bank Christians were once again denied entry by Israeli authorities. …Hosanna; save us.” For his full report, head to Palm Sunday in Jerusalem.

On Saturday morning Teresa and I were present for celebrations of Buddha’s birthday at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, Riccarton Road, Christchurch, hosted by Abbess Manshin (MNZM). We are grateful for the opportunity to gain insight into the Buddhist faith and to learn about its connections into various communities in our nation (see further here).

We then travelled to St. David’s Union Church, Ashburton for a service of thanksgiving for the life of John Wallis, husband of the Reverend Helen Wallis, one of our priests in Mid Canterbury. John was buried in Lawrence, South Otago earlier this week. I thank God for John’s faithful support of Helen in her ministry and for his own ministry to many people in the parishes in which they have served, in both the Presbyterian and Anglican churches.

On Sunday morning we were at Te Tōmairangi o Ihu Karaiti, Ferry Road, Christchurch for confirmations, commissionings and ordinations in a service led by Archbishop Don Tamihere. It was a privilege to share with Bishop Anne van Gend, Diocese of Dunedin, in assisting Archbishop Don with the ordinations. Those being ordained will serve within Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu, in districts ranging from Christchurch through to Invercargill.

As Warden of St. Michael’s Church School, I am very pleased to announce that Ms Liz Coster will be the new Principal of the school, beginning in Term 3, 2025. As Warden of St. Mark’s School, Opawa, where Liz has served as Deputy Principal and Assistant Chaplain, I share in the loss the school will feel when Liz leaves to take up her new role!

This ANZAC Day (Friday, 25 April), Christ Church Cathedral will be illuminated in red to commemorate New Zealand’s fallen during service. From dusk to dawn, for the week preceding and including Anzac Day, the western façade of the Cathedral will shine poppy-red as a commemorative tribute to this important day. On ANZAC Day itself, people will gather again – for the third time since the 2011 quakes – in Cathedral Square for the Dawn Service (6.15am) to honour fallen and returned servicemen and women, a tradition passed down the generations over the last 109 years.

Social Housing is a critical issue in respect of housing New Zealanders and their families. An important opportunity to hear from one of our key local leaders on development of social housing in Christchurch is coming up, 6pm Thursday 1 May 2025 at the Knox Centre, corner Bealey Ave and Victoria St: refreshments from 5.30pm, Koha please. This Forum is organised by EcuAction (contacts, Marilyn 021 061 3940; Brian 021 129 4305). At this Forum, Jill Hawkey, Executive Director, Christchurch Methodist Mission will speak on “Social Housing: Where are we going with it?“

This coming Sunday, 20 April is Easter Day or Pascha. The Gospel reading is Luke 24:1-12 or John 20:1-18. In each reading, the tomb is emptied of the corpse of Jesus and the rising of Jesus is proclaimed (Luke; appearances are recounted in the next part of the chapter) or revealed (John 20:11-18). Mary’s cry at the end of the John reading, “I have seen the Lord” is a paramount Christian confession. Jesus has died for us and he has risen for us.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 9 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

It was good to be with God’s people at the church of St. Philip and All Saints, Marchwiel, Timaru on Sunday morning. Today I am writing this message from Palmerston North where I am participating in three days of meetings with the bishops of our church.

This coming weekend I will be present for an interfaith event at the Christchurch Buddhist Temple on Saturday morning commemorating the birth of Buddha and praying for world peace. On Sunday morning Teresa and I will be at Ordinations and Commissionings for clergy and kai karakia for Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu. These will take place at Te Tōmairangi o Ihu Karaiti at Te Pā o Te Waipounamu, 290 Ferry Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch. Archbishop Don Tamihere will be the ordaining bishop.

Planning for our annual Synod in September is underway. In respect of Diocesan youth representatives for the Synod we would like to invite parishes / ministry units with young people aged between 16-24 years old who would be interested in attending synod as a Diocesan Youth Rep to send in nominations. It’s super simple – just fill in the form here. Diocesan youth reps have voice and vote at Synod. Nominations need to be made by Friday, 2 May. If you have any questions, please contact Rev’d Sammy Mould by email or phone.

A week or so ago we learned of terrible, destructive quakes in Myanmar.

Ian McInnes of Tearfund writes, “We’re moving fast together with our local Christian partner, who has been working in Myanmar since 1995 and has a trusted relationship with communities there. Your church’s financial support could put faith into action and… Provide life’s essentials, such as food, safe drinking water, hygiene items, emergency shelter supplies, mosquito nets, bedding, and more! … From my experience responding to disasters, every second matters when lives are at stake. So, your community’s support this Sunday will make a tangible difference in getting the right supplies and people to communities in serious need. You can donate your church’s offering online or via bank transfer. We’ve also created a PowerPoint slide you could download and use.”

Thank you for being a community that puts your faith in action and for holding the people of Myanmar in your prayers. We pray that God would use his people far and wide to bring relief to our brothers and sisters in Myanmar right now:

Account Name: The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund T/A Tearfund
Account number: 12-3024-0505787-01
Code: 236-25
Ref: 1041628

Cole Yeoman, a parishioner in the Parish of Bryndwr, is currently living in the West Bank. From time to time in e-Life we will be bringing Cole’s reports of life in the West Bank where immense pressure is being exerted by Israel on Palestinians – on their lives, their residences and their livelihoods – in a 21st century version of colonisation.

Meanwhile the terrible suffering and unnecessary deaths all wars unleash on the innocent continue in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan: we continue to pray to the God of peace for peace – a real, lasting and just peace.

This coming Sunday, 13 April is Lent 6 – Palm Sunday. The Gospel reading is (at least) Luke 19:28-40. If our service includes both the Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion then there is an additional gospel reading, Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49. An appropriate focus for Palm Sunday is to ask the question, “What kind of king is Jesus, who comes into Jerusalem in peace and humility”, and who will die “King of the Jews” in a few days’ time?

Incidentally, Ian Paul offers the observation that in Luke 19:28-40 there is no mention of ‘palms’, only of ‘cloaks’.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Throughout our Diocese there will be extra services and special services through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. On Tuesday, in Avonhead in the morning and in Temuka in the early evening there will be our annual Chrism Eucharists with opportunity for clergy present to renew their ordination vows and for oils for rites of our church to be blessed. May we all, across the ministry units of our Diocese grow closer to Jesus Christ, deepen our solidarity with him in his sufferings and experience afresh the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11).

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 2 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

The proximity of Timaru to Dunedin meant that on Friday and Sunday morning, Teresa and I were able to be in South Canterbury, spending time with clergy, visiting Craighead Diocesan School and participating in Mothering Sunday services at St. Mary’s, Timaru, with Archdeacon Ben Randall. In between, we had a lovely day trip on Saturday to Dunedin for Bishop Anne van Gend’s ordination and installation as Bishop of Dunedin. The whole weekend was blessed with plentiful sunshine and many happy conversations.

Taonga has a report on Bishop Anne’s service in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

On Sunday evening, back in Christchurch, we were at St. Michael’s and All Angels with Reverend Jordan Greatbatch for a special Evensong service to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Mountfort (1825-1898), Canterbury’s leading architect in the first fifty years of the European settlement). The particular connection with St. Michael and All Angels is that Mountfort designed the bell tower and the lychgate there. The service was put together by Fr Jordan and Dean Ben Truman, with the Cathedral Choir leading the music – the Cathedral’s role recognising that Benjamin Mountfort, from 1874, was the local, supervising architect for Christ Church Cathedral in the Square (the presiding architect, George Gilbert Scott, London based and never visiting Christchurch). Members of the Mountfort family were present and Archdeacon Nick Mountfort led the prayers. Our preach was Dr Ian Lochhead, art historian and author of A Dream of Spires: Benjamin Mountfort and the Gothic revival. My thanks go to all who planned and delivered this service and to Haydn Rawstron whose prompting led to the service happening. For more about Benjamin Mountfort, read here.

Last Wednesday, Te Kotahitanga (or advisory board to the St. John’s College Trust Board, of which I am a member), the St. John’s College Trust Board (including the Reverend Dr Carolyn Robertson) and General Synod Standing Committee (including our Diocesan representative, the Reverend Toby Behan) met in Auckland – the first time these three groups have met together in a very long time. Our shared deliberations were focused on how we may best distribute the income of the Trust Board (which is purposed for education and training according to Christian principles in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) with particular respect to matters of financial equity between the Three Tikanga, each of which is differently resourced in respect of trusts and endowments from the past. It will take us a couple of years to reach a new agreement on the most just way forward.

This Friday, 4 April, is Principal Penny Tattershaw’s last day with students at St. Michael’s Church School. Her time as Principal of the school will conclude during the April holidays. I am grateful to Penny for her sustained work through the past seven and a half years to grow the school roll and to develop the educational opportunities available to students at the school. Thank you, Penny for your strong leadership through a challenging period in the history of one of our oldest Anglican schools!

Bishop Ngarahu Katene, Pihopa o Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa Te Wheke (i.e. a region including Waikato, Northern Taranaki, Western Bay of Plenty, King Country) retires this month from his role. Please give thanks to God for Bishop Ngarahu’s ministry and pray for him to enjoy a restful and long retirement.

I am pleased to hear news that the Alpine Presbytery has extended a call to the Reverend Pauline Hampshire to be the minister at the Community Church of Akaroa Banks Peninsula (that is, the combining of the Anglican and Presbyterian parishes of these districts). The Ordination and Induction service will be at 3.30pm on Sunday 29 June. We are looking to include the inauguration of the new parish at this service. Presbyterian and Anglican traditions of the parish will be reflected in the service. In the meantime, I am very grateful to Anglican clergy who are regularly leading services in Akaroa and other parts of the bays, pending Pauline’s arrival.

Thanks be to God, the Reverend Patrick Chrisp has begun his Interim Priestly ministry in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton. Please pray for him and Trusella, his wife, as they settle into this ministry, after many years’ service on the African continent.

This coming Sunday, 6 April is Lent 5. The Gospel reading is John 12:1-8. What moves us most emotionally in this story?

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 26 March 2025

Read more: Anglican e-Life | 26 March 2025
Dear Friends,

This Saturday, at 1pm, the Reverend Dr Anne van Gend will be ordained a bishop and installed as the Bishop of Dunedin (i.e. the territory covered by Otago, Southland, Fiordland and Stewart Island). Please pray for Anne as she prepares for this service and for our Archbishops, Justin, Don and Sione as they prepare to lead the service which will take place in St. Paul’s Cathedral. A number of people from our Diocese will be present at the service, including Teresa and me, Archdeacon Indrea Alexander and the Reverend Lucy Flatt, representing the women clergy of our Diocese; Archdeacon Ben Randall as Archdeacon of South Canterbury, the region most closely neighbouring the Dunedin Diocese; Dean Ben Truman and Mrs Vivienne Jackson.

On Saturday morning, I was delighted to be at Glenroy Lodge, Hororata, to speak to the Christchurch Mar Thoma congregation at their weekend camp. The Mar Thoma church in South India traces its history back to St. Thomas the Apostle, who took the Gospel to India. The congregation here is overseen by the Reverend Sabu Samuel, a priest based in Auckland, and by the Bishop of Chennai, Gregorios Mar Stephanos, whose responsibilities include Mar Thoma churches in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Some of the Mar Thoma members are also involved in the life of our parishes, including the chief organisers of the camp, Dr Babukutty Yohannan and Dr Laly Samuel. It was a privilege to meet Bishop Gergorios Mar Stephanos, and the Reverend Sabu Samuel who were also at the camp.

On Sunday afternoon, “A Short Course in Christian Living” concluded. This weekend was organised and hosted by the Cursillo communityof our Diocese and included some observers from other dioceses, keen to see how this revised form of the Cursillo three-day weekend worked. My delight in being part of the concluding sessions of the weekend, including a closing eucharist, was to see and hear how our Lord Jesus Christ Himself had impacted the lives of the pilgrims on this “short course”. I thank and congratulate our Cursillo community for their work on this weekend course.

During the Sunday afternoon service, we congratulated the Reverend Heather Stewart on 40 years of ordained ministry. Thank you, Heather, for your faithful service!

Following the recent news of massacres of Christians in Syria I wrote to the St. George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Christian church which gathers here in Christchurch for worship in one of our churches, St. Nicholas’, Barrington Street. In return I have received this message: “Thank you for reaching out with your kind words and prayers during this deeply distressing time. The reports from Syria are indeed heartbreaking, and our hearts are heavy as we witness the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We truly appreciate your support and the prayers of the wider Christian community. It is a great comfort to know that we are not alone in this struggle and that the body of Christ stands together in faith and hope. Please continue to remember us and all those affected in your prayers. May God’s grace and peace be with you and your ministry”.

With Easter just around the corner, the Bible Society suggests:

“What better way to celebrate than by helping the children in your life discover the true story of Easter? Thanks to our generous supporters, we’re excited to offer free copies of The Very First Easter—a fun and engaging booklet for primary-aged children. (If you’re able, a small gift to help cover printing and distribution costs would be greatly appreciated.)”

This coming Sunday, 23 March is Lent 4. The Gospel reading is Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. What is this parable about? “The Prodigal Son,” “The Waiting Father”, “A Study in Contrasts: Two Very Different Brothers”? Noting the preceding two parables, the major point of the parable is that God is the waiting father, the One who yearns for us to return to him and joyfully celebrates when we do so. The minor point is that not everyone shares the attitude of the waiting Father God: our attitude to repentant sinners will demonstrate whether we have the character of God in our hearts, or otherwise.

This week the need for peace and justice in our world is as urgent as it has ever been in the past few years, with special reference to gratuitous violence by various armed forces in the name of causes which have nothing to do with advancing God’s work of love and mercy in the world. Pray!

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 19 March 2025

Read more: Anglican e-Life | 19 March 2025
Dear Friends,

It is horrible to wake up this morning to news that Israeli bombing in Gaza – in the midst of an alleged ceasefire – has killed more than 400 Palestinians. Meanwhile, a few countries further over, Trump and Putin are playing some kind of cruel game around what “peace” means for Ukraine as it resists the colonising attempt of imperial Russia to take over Ukraine. (Only the most naïve among us could possibly hold to the belief that Russia in the long run will be content with some limited territorial gains).

Between Ukraine and Gaza, the situation in Syria remains perilous for Alawites and Christians. As Christians we must steadfastly insist on the worth of each human being – all are made in the image of God – and there can be no ill-treatment of others, let alone killing of others, on the basis that this or that people group are deemed to be a lesser people. It flows from our understanding of people in relation to the God of Jesus Christ that we who follow Jesus Christ must work for peace (Blessed are the peacemakers …), for justice (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice/righteousness …) and for mercy (Blessed are the merciful …).

Our sister in Christ, the Reverend June Dalziel, one of our deacons, died on 12 March in Christchurch at the age of 96 years. She was ordained as a Deacon at Holy Innocents church, Amberley in 2003 and had a long and faithful servant ministry that covered the parishes of Glenmark-Waikari, and Amberley, including ministry in the latter parish in St Paul’s church, Leithfield. She was well known for her community facing work as a deacon and will be lovingly remembered for her generous ministry in North Canterbury. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Teresa and I were blessed at the weekend to share in a retreat for Pākehā bishops and spouses at Vaughan Park Retreat Centre, Long Bay, Auckland. On Friday we were able to spend a day at St. John’s College, meeting with our students there and some of the staff. Our students are in good heart and I thank you for your prayers for them: Josh and Jo Taylor, Ciru Mariuki, André and Sarah Muller (all due to return to the Diocese later this year), Jamie and Pattama Somerville and Luke and Sharnee Watson (new to St. John’s this year).

I have received notice of a new film telling the story of Jesus: THE KING OF KINGS will be in cinemas on 10 April 2025 in New Zealand. This animated film, which features an all-star cast including Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamil, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, and Oscar Isaac, brings to life the story of Jesus Christ through the imaginative lens of Charles Dickens narrating to his son, Walter. Watch the trailer here.

Our Diocesan retreat house, Sister Eveleen Retreat House, Sumner has an excellent series of retreats planned for 2025. Details are on their website. Retreats are a valuable way to engage more deeply with the divine life and I commend the planned retreats to you for consideration.

2025 is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (strictly speaking the First Council of Nicaea, which met from May until the end of July 325 AD, and whose main accomplishment was settling the question of the nature of Jesus Christ as both fully human and fully divine). This was the first full ecumenical council of the churches and from it flowed the creed we today call the Nicene Creed. (The original version from this council was amended by a subsequent ecumenical council at Constantinople in 381 AD, and it is the amended version we say today.) I hope in a few weeks’ time to be able to inform you about a time and date for an ecumenical celebration in Christchurch of this council and its significant theological achievement.

This coming Sunday, 23 March is Lent 3. The Gospel reading is Luke 13:1-9. This is a challenging reading (because it engages with the problem of suffering), but its message is clear and simple: each of us should ensure our lives are aligned with God’s life (i.e. we should repent) and should do so without delay.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 12 March 2025

Read more: Anglican e-Life | 12 March 2025
Dear Friends,

Last Wednesdayevening, it was a joy to be in the Transitional Cathedral to share in the annual Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical Ash Wednesday service, with Bishop Michael Gielen preaching. A very big thank you to Dean Ben Truman and Fr Simon Eccleton who, along with their respective cathedral staffs and choirs, prepared for and led the service. With the worldwide Catholic church, we continue to pray for the good health of Pope Francis.

Let us also pray for a cessation of violence in Syria, to Alawite-led rebellion, where responses by forces aligned with the new government, are resulting in the deaths of innocent Christians.

It was a privilege to be at Trinity Church, Darfield with the Reverend Alexa Evenden on Sunday morning for their 9.30am service and to share in fellowship after the service with the local congregation and later with local clergy and their spouses. For those readers who do not know, Trinity church is a remarkable, probably unique ecumenical building: it is jointly owned by the Malvern Co-operating (Presbyterian-Methodist) Parish and the Malvern Anglican Parish. There is a service in the church every Sunday morning, with each parish alternating responsibility for provision of services. Arrangements work seamlessly with much goodwill in co-operation and have endured faithfully since 1979.

This Saturday, in Auckland, Captain Monika Clark, National Director, Church Army NZ, will be formally farewelled from her national leadership role. We give thanks to God for Monika’s work in this role and pray for the Church Army as it seeks a new National Director. Many readers here know that Monika lives in Christchurch – we will continue to benefit from Monika’s work in evangelism and evangelism training since she will continue to work for the Church Army in a part-time role based here.

One of the things I am often saying as I move around the Diocese is that we are doing well in many ways: Regeneration of our Diocese is taking place as new generations of active members are being welcomed into our services and other aspects of church life. We have also seen a small uptick in annual attendance. There is great resilience in our smaller congregations. Yet, I quickly move onto to say, it is also the case that we are battling a significant high tide wave of secularisation which has been sweeping many people out of expression of Christian faith in active church participation. Thus I was very interested to read in this morning’s Press an article, which underlines my concern about what we are battling against. The heading for this article – on census figures for Christchurch city – is “Religion takes a back seat as secularism pulls ahead”. While I am glad the article includes constructive comments from one of our clergy, the Reverend John McLister, Vicar of Lyttelton and Port Chaplain, I don’t think the article fully represents the strength of active church life in Christchurch as it is experienced across all churches – noting, for instance, the wonderful turn out of 5000+ Christians for the Open Heaven prayer and praise event two weeks ago. Nevertheless, we Christians cannot brush the statistics away. We are in a spiritual battle as we seek what God wants: the growth of the body of Christ on earth.

Encouragingly, there are signs of revival in the Christian faith in the secularised world. The Other Cheek, a Sydney-based Christian blog, reproduces a report by Richard N. Ostling, on a new book by renowned New York Times columnist, Ross Douthat, tilted Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. In the course of this report, which sees this book as a 21st century version of C. S. Lewis’ famous Mere Christianity, we read about significant Christian conversions of influential writers/broadcasters. I note this comment in Ostling’s report: “… prominent British-American historian Niall Ferguson, currently a fellow at Harvard and Stanford universities. He told Greg Sheridan of The Australian that lifelong atheism dissolved when he considered that all attempts to base a successful society on atheism have proven “catastrophic”.” This is a sharp reminder that as Kiwis move away from identifying themselves as Christian, there is a very large question of what that means for the society we are becoming as the tide of secularisation sweeps all before it. We have a Gospel to proclaim and proclaim it we must, for the sake of human life itself, not only for the next world, but also for this one.

This coming Sunday, 9 March is Lent 2. The Gospel reading is Luke 13:31-35. In Luke’s gospel, everything after Luke 9:51, including this passage with its lament for Jerusalem, is shaped by Jesus’ intention to enter Jerusalem and there fulfil God’s plan for our salvation through his suffering for us. Jesus is not deterred by information that Herod the Fox wants to kill him. If he is to be killed it must be in Jerusalem. Our Lenten journey takes us with Jesus to the cross. We will not suffer physical death here in Aotearoa New Zealand for our faith, but elsewhere in the world, horrifically in this past week in Syria, Christians are being killed for being Christian. But what should die within ourselves, if we are to be completely filled with the divine life of Christ?

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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