Dear Friends,
Last Thursday evening, it was a privilege to be part of A Service of Thanksgiving and Praise for Ministry at St. Martin’s, Loburn (Parish of Rangiora), as part of a sequence of final services for this church. On Sunday, it was good to celebrate Pentecost at St. Mark’s, Opawa-St. Martins. In the course of that service, I was able to confirm Nathaniel, Stefan Hall, and Amber Hall. Please pray for them as they continue their journey with Jesus Christ.
Further south on Sunday morning, at St Mary’s, Timaru, Archdeacon Ben Randall was farewelled from his role as Vicar of St. Mary’s, Timaru. Thank you, Ben, for your ministry at St. Mary’s, and for your ministry as Archdeacon of South Canterbury. We wish you God’s rich blessings for the next chapter of your life and ministry. Please pray for Archdeacon Indrea Alexander as she adds the role of Acting Archdeacon of South Canterbury to her work.
As we draw closer to the ordination of Bishop-elect Susan Wallace at 11am, Saturday 6 June 2026 in the Transitional Cathedral, 234 Hereford Street, Christchurch, please pray for Susan, her family and Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu as they prepare with Archbishop Don Tamihere for this important occasion. All are welcome to the service and to the Pōwhiri preceding it at 9am, also in the Transitional Cathedral. I remind clergy to RSVP, according to an invitation they have been sent, if intending to be present.
I am delighted that the Christchurch City Council confirmed yesterday that it will commit $15m from surplus funds to the Cathedral’s reinstatement, conditional on central government also contributing $15m. We are not yet at the point of being able to commit to resumption of construction, but we are a significant step closer. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep praying as we still have a shortfall of $15m to find even when we assume that central government, following the election, does commit $15m. Let us pray with great faith in the God who provides!
Yesterday, Pope Leo published his first Encyclical (i.e. highest level of papal teaching short of formal, infallible pronouncements), Magnifica Humanitas. This encyclical is available to read/download here. Pope Leo’s purpose in this document is to “ask God for the wisdom to interpret the great trends of our time, particularly technological advances. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident how rapidly and profoundly digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are transforming our world”.
What unfolds in Magnifica Humanitas is theological engagement not only with the challenges and opportunities AI poses for humanity, but also with the challenges of this era for humanity to achieve the grandeur that God intends for us. Challenges such as war, modern slavery, and threats to democracy and the telling of truth in our societies are also discussed. Among things to catch my eye are the following: a great theme through this encyclical, drawn from Pope Paul VI’s, is the desirability of human civilisation being “the civilization of love”; the incompatibility of slavery in any and all forms, ancient and modern with the civilisation of love; a striking, summary description of a great challenge in the world of AI: “The dignity of work at a time of digital transition”; penetrating analysis of the potential of AI for good and for evil:
“The use of digital platforms and AI systems is driving profound changes in public and political communication. Tools that could foster dialogue and participation are often used to construct distorted narratives and blur the boundaries between truth and falsehood, mixing facts with opinions. Disinformation did not begin with AI, yet today it finds a powerful amplifier in AI. The ability to manipulate content, images and videos exposes people to biased or misleading perspectives. This problem has both cultural and moral dimensions, since the quality of public communication depends directly on social trust and, in turn, shapes it” (from Section 132).
Finally, among many brilliant paragraphs, I note this one to you:
“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace. True progress always stems from a heart open to others, an intelligence willing to listen and a will that seeks what unites rather than what separates” (from Section 15).
Within our Diocese some work is beginning on policy in respect of the use of AI as a tool for administration and ministry. Last night, the ADMSC Board (our diocesan finance Board) agreed to an AI policy for ADMSC employed staff in the Anglican Centre. After testing this policy for a few months, we will update it if needed, and share the policy more widely for vestries and other governing bodies in the Diocese to consider adapting and adopting for use.
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.
This coming Sunday, 31 May 2026 is Trinity, and the Gospel is Matthew 28:16-20. In this passage we have a relatively early distillation of what the earliest Christians were reflecting on, that they were experiencing through the teaching of Jesus, his testimony to the work of God in his life, and their own testimonies to the work of God in their lives, that the God of Israel, testified to in the ancient writings of Israel (the Old Testament) is God who is Father, who is Son and who is Holy Spirit. While Matthew’s Gospel offers no sign of any later debates about how God is Trinity – Three Divine Persons in One Being – Matthew’s reference to “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, along with other expressions in the New Testament writings, drove the next generations of Christians forward in their engagement with the theo-ology/God-talk question, “What is the nature of God in the fullness of God’s revelation to humanity?”
Arohanui,
+Peter.