Dear Friends,
In the cover image are photos from last Sunday’s confirmation service for Graham Watson, Lauren Beckwith, Joanne Verkaaik, and Jayne Fall at St. Barnabas’ Church, Woodend; and photos of a Burnside-Harewood Parish retreat during Labour Weekend.
I have a lot of announcements to make and notices to give this week. Next week I intend to focus on the Regeneration of our Diocese.
Important services are coming up, to which all are welcome:
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At 10.30am, this Saturday 29 November in the Transitional Cathedral, I will ordain to the diaconate: Wanjiru (Cirũ) Muriuki (for the Parish of Riccarton-Spreydon), André Muller (for the Parishes of East Christchurch, Linwood-Aranui and Avonside)and Bruce White (for the Parish of Burnside-Harewood) will be ordained deacons. Clergy should robe with albs and red stoles. The Reverend Jenny Wilkens will be our preacher at her last service as our Diocesan Director of Ordination pending her retirement from her main role as Senior Associate Priest in the Parish of Fendalton in January 2026.
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The Transitional Cathedral Advent Carol Service is at 7pm, this Sunday 30 November.
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The Reverend Hilary Willett’s inductions as Vicar of Hanmer Springs is at 7pm, Friday 12 December in the Church of the Epiphany, Jollies Pass Road, Hanmer Springs. Due to the small size of this church, clergy intending to be at the service are asked to RSVP to Veronica Cross, bishopsea@anglicanlife.org.nz by 5pm Wednesday, 10 December.
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The 175th anniversary of the arrival of the First Four Ships to Lyttelton, and thus the official founding date of the European settlement of Canterbury is 16 December 2025. At 5pm on Sunday 14 December, Evensong in the Transitional Cathedral will celebrate this anniversary. I am the preacher.
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The Transitional Cathedral Carol Service will be at 7pm, Sunday 21 December.
St. John’s College student news: Congratulations to the Reverend Joshua Taylor, who has successfully passed the viva for his Ph. D. thesis, “Speaking of Sin in 21st Century Aotearoa”, and to Luke Watson, one of our students at St. John’s, who achieved the top marks this year in the Diploma of Christian Studies course. Cirũ Muriuki, recently concluding her studies at St John’s, is featured in the following article: The Disruptive Nature of Spiritual Growth with Ciru Muriuki – Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa
Clergy news Early in November, the Reverend Shirley Hawke concluded her ministry as Vicar of the Parish of Temuka – Te Ngawai. Thank you, Shirley, for your leadership, initially as vicar of the two parishes, then as vicar of the amalgamated Parish of Temuka – Te Ngawai. Thank you also for two periods as Acting Archdeacon of South Canterbury. Our best wishes go to you and Gary as you return to Ashburton, and we look forward to continuing to work with you in Mid Canterbury.
Archdeacon Nick Mountfort, currently Archdeacon of Selwyn-Tawera and Vicar of Upper Riccarton-Yaldhurst, with become the fulltime Archdeacon for Ministry for our Diocese from Sunday, 1 February 2026. He will remain Archdeacon for Selwyn-Tawera. In this new role, Nick will also be our Diocesan Director of Ordination (following the Reverend Jenny Wilkens’ retirement from that role at the end of this year).
Recently, at the annual lunch for our retired clergy, widows and widowers, the following years of ordained ministry were acknowledged: the Reverend Philip Robinson 55 years, the Reverend Paul Hammonds 60 years, and the Reverend Jim Riley 65 years.
Now that I am back from study leave, I want to personally acknowledge clergy whose deaths were announced while I was away: the Reverends Eunice Penman, David Hastings and Hugh Paterson. I always loved joy-filled conversations with Eunice when we met in Timaru. David Hastings and I had a few adventures in ministry when we served together in the Diocese of Nelson. Hugh Paterson led the pre-ordination retreat when I and others were ordained priests at the end of 1987. It was a privilege for Teresa and I to meet with him in his home in Sheffield not long ago.
The Reverend Dick Tripp died last week, on Monday night. Last Friday would have been his 93rd birthday. All of Dick’s ordained ministry was within our Diocese. After studies at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, UK, and at College House, here in Christchurch, Dick was ordained a deacon in 1957 and priested in 1959. He served in various roles at Bryndwr, Methven, Hoon Hay, St John’s Latimer Square, North New Brighton, Sydenham-Beckenham (x2), Belfast-Redwood and Governors Bay/Diamond Harbour (Mt Herbert Parish). Dick’s roles included pastoral ministry as an assistant curate or vicar, and evangelism as a licensed evangelist. On his work as an evangelist Bishop David Coles offers this tribute:
“He was skilled at engaging total strangers in close personal discussion about spiritual or pastoral matters, often coming back and leading many people to faith and hope as a result of a door-knock visit.”
In his retirement years, Dick wrote many apologetic pamphlets and books. He was, incidentally, a skilled magician. After many years as an active retired clergyperson, increasing frailty in recent years has meant Dick has not been visibly present among us. He will be remembered at a service at Beckenham Methodist Church, 83 Malcolm Avenue, Beckenham, at 10am on Saturday, 29 November, with a live stream link available on the Lamb and Hayward website. Unfortunately, this service time clashes with the diocesan ordination service that morning at 10.30am in the Transitional Cathedral and a number of us will not be able to be at Dick’s service. I am grateful that the Reverend Canon Brenda Bonnett and Bishop David Coles are able to represent me and the Diocese at his service. Please remember Sally Tripp, Dick’s widow, and their family in your prayers. Any messages to Sally and the family should be sent to David Tripp, their son, at david.tripp@xtra.co.nz.
In the new year there will be a change in the Anglican Centre as Nathan Muirhead, our Diocesan Safeguarding Officer leaves us to take up a full-time teaching position at Paparoa Street School in Papanui. I am very grateful to Nathan for the comprehensive and diligent work he has done on all aspects of safeguarding work for our diocese. Through Nathan we have improved our systems and enhanced our training offering to licensed ministers, lay and ordained. Thank you, Nathan! We will begin advertising soon for a new officer.
Two important publications in our Diocese are now available: The latest print edition of AnglicanLife magazine is being circulated out to ministry units today. Its theme is “Adoration”, and it is full of great reading. Please share copies with neighbours and friends!
The next instalment of Theology House’s Lenten study series, In the Spirit of Lent has arrived from the printers. This edition for Year A (2025- 2026) again includes art by the Reverend Sarah West and text by Gareth Bezett, Theology House director. Orders are open now on their website and books will ship from mid-January 2026 in plenty of time for Lent. Copies are $9 each.
On Sunday we worshipped in the morning at St. Andrew’s Church, Oxford in the Parish of Oxford-Cust, celebrating 160 years of the parish’s life and 60 years for the current church’s existence. Late afternoon we were at St. Barnabas’ Church, Woodend in the Parish of Woodend-Pegasus, where I confirmed Graham Watson, Lauren Beckwith, Joanne Verkaaik, and Jayne Fall. It was wonderful to hear each of their testimonies of what God has been doing in their lives.
I am delighted to share with you that the College House Chapel of the Upper Room has received a National Architecture Award for 2025. The Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA Architecture Award was presented recently in the Heritage category, recognising the significance of this very special building.
Christ Church Cathedral will host the 10-metre steel City Mission Christmas Tree and unveil Pete Majendie’s new artwork during the 12 Days of Christmas event which offers bookings for up to 50 visitors at a time on weekdays from Monday 1 December to Tuesday 16 December 2025.
This coming Sunday, 30 November 2025 is Advent 1 The epistle reading is Romans 13:11-14. In a few verses Paul provokes us to live today in the light of tomorrow, to wake up from sleep, to lay aside works of darkness and put on the armour of light instead, to understand that everyday is a day nearer to the end of all things – the completion of salvation and the presence of God in judgement. What changes to our lives should we make as we begin the season of Advent?
Arohanui,
+Peter.