Bishop Andrew Hedge's Update

Kia ora koutou, I hope all is well with you wherever you are in Waiapu or beyond. 

Wild storms

The last two weeks or so have seen more storms hit the motu and we have felt the impact of that across Waiapu with Cyclone Vaianu. I’m very appreciative of the responsiveness in each parish across the Diocese to carefully consider withholding in-person services on Easter 2. The decisions that were made were local and in careful consideration of the well-being of our parish communities including the vulnerable, and also our clergy, staff and lay leaders. Thank you all for your timely responses and I’m pleased that the resulting storm left us largely without severe damage to people or property. We continue to hold care and concern for the parts of Waiapu that continue to live with the impacts of harsh weather and also prayerfully supporting parts of the country that have encountered that in the recent days. 

Standing Committee

Our Standing Committee met last week over two days to take some time to consider our role and function as well as look ahead this year at some strategic focus. This was a good opportunity to hear from the Senior Leadership Team from Shared Services who ran workshops for Standing Committee on governance, finance, risk and audit, leadership and strategy. The two days were valuable for the Standing Committee members to prioritise the areas of focus they want to lead into over the coming years. There will be follow up work on this soon at our next meeting in May. I look forward to sharing in more detail from our last meeting with our parish leadership via what may develop into some regular comms. 

Whakapapa celebrations

On Sunday 19 April I was very pleased to join with the congregation at our Cathedral to welcome members of the Williams whanau as they celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the arrival of William and Jane Williams to Aotearoa. The Cathedral hummed with the buzz of a family reunion reflective of the very purpose that compelled William and Jane to travel around the world to these shores; the expression of our faithful love for God. The story of William and Jane, along with William’s brother Henry and his wife Marianne, and their families, bears testament to lives lived with passion and faithfulness in service to God. The celebration acknowledged and honoured the many ways in which William and Jane ministered in Aotearoa, especially in Waiapu. A very tangible expression of their ministry was the presence of staff and students from Hukarere College which was founded by William and Jane, named after their house on Napier hill, Hukarere. It was a very special celebration, honouring a family, and remembering an important part of God’s work in the whakapapa of Waiapu. 

Ministry for seafarers

One of the roles I hold for the province is the liaison between the House of Bishops and the Mission to Seafarers. This week I attended a meeting in Wellington along with Archbishop Paul Martin who is the Roman Catholic bishop with responsibility for Stella Maris. We were invited to participate in a review of Seafarer’s Welfare being conducted by Maritime New Zealand. It is good to see the robust review and care that is being taken to ultimately support the wellbeing of seafarers who enter the ports in the motu. We have a strong tradition and practice of support for seafarers through the missions present at the three ports in Waiapu; Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier. Seafarers are largely unseen and barely have a thought offered for them across a normal day for most people, and yet are essential to trade to our island nation for industry, agriculture, horticulture, tourism and fuel supplies to name a few. It was a reminder to me of the value of the work and ministry that is carried out around Waiapu at the ports we care for. Remember the missions in your prayers and encourage those who participate in supporting this vital and challenging ministry. 

ANZAC Day

With ANZAC Day coming up on Saturday I know that many of us will be involved attending or otherwise supporting services in the morning. It is a day which evokes stirring emotions and memories of our ancestors who have served in armed conflict and the impact on their lives, and the lives of their whanau, and their communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a day which also stirs internal conflict for many as they wrestle with the recognition of armed service for the rights of humanity at the cost of taking the lives of others. However ANZAC Day is remembered by you and your family may it be a call to commit our lives to live more closely in the image of Christ, who promises abundant life for all, and yearns for peace. Lest we forget. 

Ngā mihi,

+Andrew