Who are we?
Named after the river that flows from the Raukūmara Ranges into the Waiapu plains from which the gospel was first proclaimed in Tairāwhiti; we are a community of churches, missions, and services that still seek to bring spiritual life, nourishment and hope to the communities we serve.
As a community of Christians in the Anglican tradition, there is a shared history, experience and life that binds us together.
But what does it mean to be Anglican? To learn more, click here.
Our Story
The Anglican presence in the eastern side of Te Ika-a-Māui dates back to the missionary work of Māori evangelists. With their hearts touched by the message of the gospel, they returned to whānau and hapū and shared the faith. These early missionaries were then joined by Pākehā, who often found that Jesus had preceded them.
With the arrival of colonists, a more formal church presence was developed with the appointment of the first bishop of Waiapu in 1859. These early years saw the development of bi-cultural ministries and expressions, including full Synodical meeting in te Reo Māori. However, with the arrival of greater numbers of colonists and following the impact of treaty breaches and Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa/the New Zealand Wars, the diocese, with the society around it, became a far more Pākehā centred community. The early legacy of bi-cultural practice has always been a part of the Waiapu story, however, and came to the fore again with the support for Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa with the Bishop of Aotearoa originally a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Waiapu. With the 1992 constitutional change, te Pīhopatanga become a fully independent bishopric. Since then, Waiapu has sought to foster a strong relationship between itself and te Pīhopatanga, as well as the hui amorangi with which it shares land and people; te Manawa o te Wheke and te Tairāwhiti. While there is still much work to do, this relationship is a core part of who we are and who we feel called to be in the future.
Throughout our life as a diocese, which has now stretched for more than 150 years, we have had to respond to the realities of the communities we serve and to our place in their stories. This is a practice we continue today. Present through church communities, chaplaincies, schools, and social services, we seek to be a deeply rooted, kingdom minded and locally flavoured people that help shine the light of the gospel into the lives of those we are called to.
In our midst you are not likely to find a celebrity preacher, flashy productions or the promise that Jesus can make you rich. What you will find is a people who have lived a commitment to the gospel across generations and within long-standing communities, whose heart breaks for what breaks their local people and who seek to embrace everyone in the truth of the love that God holds for them in Jesus Christ. If that resonates with you, check out our communities page to see where you may be able to join us in the work and ministry of the church near you.
Our Vision and Values
Our Vision: Faith giving life
The Anglican Diocese of Waiapu has engaged in a wananga over several years to discern where God is calling us as a diocese and how to faithfully steward the gifts and blessing God has given us. From this time of reflection and prayer we have developed the vision of 'Faith giving life'. To implement this, we have identified five areas of our life that we feel God is asking us to invest in more heavily to foster a faith that gives life. As we look to these, we acknowledge that as an Anglican Church we are formed by the five marks of mission that outline what we believe the Church is called to do in the world.
As we work out this vision, we are committed to being a community of disciples who live together with a spirit of aroha/love, rongo/peace, and hari/joy.
Our Strategic Priorities
Discipleship
We long to be known as communities of welcome and hospitality who offer a vibrant spirituality and a rich sacramental life that fosters a theological imagination for service, grace, justice, and blessing. To become this, we will strive to recentre ourselves on community, and foster a greater formational environment such that connection and encounter are hallmarks of our common life.
Whakapapa
We believe we are called to live into our relationships with Te Pihopatanga and together nurture the proclamation of the gospel in Waiapu. We intend to live into the whakapapa of our Diocese and grow in our understanding of this through the sharing of gifts, taonga, and wānanga to understand the mātauranga and worldview we each carry. While a standalone priority, whakapapa will undergird all of our actions as we continue to discern God’s will for Waiapu and seek to grow in relationship with Te Pihopatanga.
Koru Ministry
We wish to be known as a diocese that generously gives of itself to welcome, equip and grow another generation to help build the kingdom of God. To become this, we intend to release resources for regional ministry to children, young people and their families, which will also see a strategic emphasis toward the development of intentional communities, educational opportunities and greater engagement with the Anglican Schools Network.
Vocation
We wish to be known as a diocese that serves the cities, communities and villages in which it is planted. This needs us, in the first instance, to grow a greater sense of community and belonging within our parishes and services by forming leaders who understand community development, love the people God calls them to fellowship with and honour the stories of all people, helping to discern where God is calling them. This is not just about training and education; it is a task of spiritual formation that must be heard in every pulpit, across our conversations and in our lived experience of one another.
Connection
Through this work, we aim to build a relational and collegial culture across the diocese where we are invested and supportive of the work and mission of one another: are willing to put our taonga into the places we share vision, release the burdens carried by smaller communities, and review our assets to bring the resources to bear on the building of God’s Kingdom. Through this, we hope to release a spirit of creativity and energy that will fan the flames of flourishing across our churches, services and Waiapu.
To read more about our vision, values, and strategic priorities, click here.
Diocesan Leadership
Governance
Diocesan Standing Committee
Standing Committee's purpose is to enable the mission of the Diocese of Waiapu when Synod is not in session, and to implement the decisions of Synod. Membership comprises:
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The Right Reverend Andrew Hedge (Chair)
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The Reverend Robert Kereopa
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The Venerable Alan Burnett
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The Reverend Phillipa Hales
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Miss Alison Thomson
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Mrs Joss Morrin
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Mr Garth Laing
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Mr Robin Whyman
Waiapu Board of Diocesan Trustees
The Board is empowered to hold property and hold and invest trust funds. Membership comprises:
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The Right Reverend Andrew Hedge (Chair)
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Mr Maui Tangohau (Deputy Chair)
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Mr Gordon Webb
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Mr Peter Seligman
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Mr Michael Nes
Waiapu Anglican Social Services Trust Board
The Board's purpose is to act consistently with the Principles of the Mission of the Church, to maintain the mauri, and to develop and oversee policies and strategies to acknowledge, enhance, sustain, restore te oranga ake o te iwi and the wellbeing of the people of the Diocese of Waiapu. Membership comprises:
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The Right Reverend Andrew Hedge (Chair)
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Dr Russell Wills
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Mr Chris Malcolm
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The Reverend Jo Crosse
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The Venerable Dr Hirini Kaa
Bishops of Waiapu
Past and Present Bishops
1859-1876 W. Williams
1877-1894 E.C. Stuart
1895-1909 W.L. Williams
1910-1914 A.W. Averill
1914-1929 W.W. Sedgwick
1930-1937 H.W. Williams
1938-1944 G.V. Gerard
1945-1946 G.C. Cruikshank
1947-1971 N.A. Lesser
1971-1979 Paul Reeves
1979-1983 R.V. Matthews
1983-1990 P.G. Atkins
1991-2002 M.J. Mills
1989-2005 G.H.D. Connor (Bishop in the Bay of Plenty)
2002-2008 J.W. Bluck
2008-2014 D.W. Rice
2014-Current A. Hedge