Dear Friends,
This week’s message is written from Ashburton, where our annual Clergy Conference is being held in St. Stephen’s church, Ashburton, hosted by Archdeacon Indrea Alexander and the Reverend Sage Burke, and parishioners who have provided wonderful food and service. The emphases in our talks have been on Discipleship and A Quiet Revival. I am very grateful to Archdeacon Nick Mountfort for his preparatory organisation for the conference and leadership through the conference itself.
I am very pleased to announce the following clerical appointments:
The Reverend Peter Hurricks will be the next Interim Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton, from Monday, 1 June 2026 until at least the end of this year.
The Reverend Prince Devanandan, currently Vicar of All Saints, Ponsonby, Auckland, will be the next Vicar of the Parish of Upper Riccarton and Yaldhurst, beginning on Thursday, 1 October 2026. Please pray for Peter and for Prince as they prepare to take up these new roles, and for Prince and Ramani, his wife, as they prepare to move to Christchurch.
Last week I wrote to Bishop Victoria Matthews to congratulate her on receiving a Doctorate in Divinity from the Trinity College, Faculty of Divinity at the University of Toronto. Anglican Taonga has the story of this award.
This week is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and I encourage us in our personal and corporate prayers to pray for Christian unity, something Jesus himself prayed for (John 17). Anglican Taonga has a story about this year’s week of prayer and a link to resources for prayer contributed by the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church.
On Friday, Teresa, I and Corinne Haines, City Missioner, representing the Diocese and the Anglican Care Trust Board, were at the Youth Hub in Salisbury Street, Christchurch, for the opening of a new performing arts centre for the Hub. This centre extends the ability of the Youth Hub to provide space for youth in our city to find support and encouragement in the growth and development of their lives. It remains a privilege to be associated with this work through Anglican Care’s provision of the land under the Youth Hub’s buildings. Further details are here.
Congratulations to Sarah Muller and her husband, the Reverend Dr Andre Muller (Parishes of East Christchurch, Linwood-Aranui and Avonside) on the birth of their son last week.
A Service of Thanksgiving and Praise for Ministry at St. Martin’s, Loburn (Parish of Rangiora) will be held at 7.30pm, Thursday 21 May 2026 in the same church, which has been approved for sale.
The Cathedral Reinstatement Project continues to generate media interest, principally from The Christchurch Press. I ask every reader to pray for this Project, asking for God’s help in our hour of need, as various opinions are publicly voiced about what the Diocese should be doing, most without regard for ongoing costs of funding the wonderful and visionary missional commitments of the other 54 ministry units in our Diocese. The Cathedral Project is important to our overall Diocesan mission, as is the current mission of the Transitional Cathedral and each of the 54 parishes. Our hour of need for prayer includes the need for wisdom as we work out what is possible and what is impossible in the current situation. The particular funding crisis facing all parties to the Project at this time is this: if central government (via NZ First) and the Christchurch City Council contribute $15m each, CCRL raises a further $20m and the Diocese contributes a further $20m, then the plan to Reopen the Cathedral’s nave, tower and west porch remains $15m short of funds. Expectations that the Diocese might contribute to that $15m shortfall need to be tempered by the reality that it is a significant challenge to get to the $20m I have stated we are committed to securing. Let us pray with great faith in the God who provides!
The confirmed time and venue for the Episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect Susan Wallace is 11am, Saturday 6 June 2026 in the Transitional Cathedral, Hereford Street, Christchurch, with a Pōwhiri preceding it at 9am, also in the Transitional Cathedral. Please pray for Bishop-elect Susan and Archbishop Don Tamihere as they arrange the details of the Pōwhiri and Ordination service for this important day in the history of Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu. (All clergy have been emailed an invitation to this occasion).
It was good to be at the memorial service for the late Reverend Diane McEvedy held at St. Mary’s, Church Square, Addington on Saturday afternoon. There were many lovely tributes for a lovely priest who impacted many lives through her ministries as a teacher, social worker, spiritual guide and priest.
The commissioning of the Reverend Dr Joshua Taylor as the new Archdeacon of Selwyn-Tawera will take place during Evensong, 5pm, Sunday 14 June 2026 in the Transitional Cathedral. Clergy are invited to robe, with Green the colour for stoles. All are welcome from all Archdeaconries to this service.
Seeking Diocesan Youth Reps for our Synod on 3-5 September 2026. Note that there are two ways of representing the youth of the Diocese at Synod. One is that you can be elected as the Dio Youth Rep, with speaking and voting rights. The other is that you can be a Parish Youth Rep with speaking rights only. The pathway to becoming a Diocesan Youth Rep is to find someone to nominate you (i.e. your Youth Minister, Young Adults Leader, or Vicar) and to have your nomination for consideration to be a Diocesan Youth Rep emailed to youth@anglicanlife.org.nz by Monday 1 June with details, including involvement at your parish and support from Vicar/Youth or Young Adult Minister. If needed an election will be held on Monday, 15 June at a Pre-Synod youth gathering. Note that there can only be one Diocesan Youth representative from any single ministry unit of the Diocese. To become a Parish Youth Representative you have to be nominated and selected by your parish. Speak to your Youth Minister, Young Adults Leader, or Vicar about this if you are keen.
This coming Sunday, 24 May 2026 is Pentecost, and the Gospel is John 20:19-23 and the “Old Testament” reading is actually Acts 2:1-21, the story of the dramatic, fiery falling of the Spirit on the gathered apostles and disciples in Jerusalem. The Gospel reading, describing what some call “the Johannine Pentecost”, is undramatic, but points to the same reality as the Acts reading: the Holy Spirit is the breathe of God, the divine life breathed into God’s people to renew our lives with spiritual power and conviction of the truth of the gospel, so that we are empowered to take forward the mission of God: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21); “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). May we be similarly breathed into with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may faithfully and fearlessly continue his mission.
Arohanui,
+Peter.