The Latest News from Bishop Andrew

Kia ora koutou katoa,

Easter celebrations

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

The past fortnight has provided me with many opportunities to gather with communities throughout the Diocese in Holy Week and Easter celebrations. It has been a joy to journey with different groups in various places and to finally hear once more voices offer up the Easter Anthem with renewed energy and spirit.

The traditional services of Chrism Mass and Renewal of Ordination Vows were well attended across the Cathedral, St Luke’s Waerenga-a-hika, and St John’s Otumoetai. It was good to see clergy engaging well with this important part of our liturgical rhythm at this time of the year. We engage afresh as colleagues drawing to mind the many people who have been and continue to be encouragers and nurturers of our vocation and calling, this year particularly remembering those who were present when we first offered our ‘Yes’ to Jesus, or in the early part of our journey of discipleship. It’s also a remembering of our vocation, calling and commitments to God and the Church as we focus around the Eucharist. We are reminded also of the expectations of that calling to serve as clergy and the responsibility of being bearers and proclaimers of God’s grace through the symbol of blessed oils. 

This year Good Friday offered me the opportunity to be in the Parish of Taupō for the community witness walk and then the Good Friday service at St Andrew’s Church. I noted that as we moved through the community the group of disciples from around six denominations were greeted peacefully and with curiosity by members of the community. Despite the weather being inclement our combined voices lifted above the dampness to sing our way through the town and then to gather near the pou on the foreshore of the lake to hear the Easter message preached by Rev’d Robert Kereopa. I know that this happened in many places throughout the Diocese and I offer you all my encouragement for continuing to join with other churches in your communities for this witness.

 Good Friday at The Parish of Taupo

The Easter Vigil at the Cathedral followed by the Easter morning services were a highlight with beautiful liturgy in all services, well attended with enthusiastic congregations. It was good to see all the various liturgical patterns that weave together to proclaim the empty tomb in various ways throughout the Paschal Triduum.

The Easter Vigil at the Cathedral

 The Easter Vigil at the Cathedral & Choir

Farewells

Last Sunday I joined the congregation at Holy Trinity Church in Gisborne to give thanks for the faithful ministry of the Rev’d Bronwyn Marchant over the past 5 years, and to acknowledge and mark Bronwyn’s retirement from stipendiary ministry. Bronwyn was one of three parish clergy who arrived in, or in Bronwyn’s case returned to, Waiapu at the end of 2019. Over the course of those five and a half years we’ve all seen tremendous challenges in community life marked by the intense COVID years and then more recently with Cyclone Gabrielle. Bronwyn’s ministry has been steadfast throughout all that time with commitment to the wider East Coast parishes, service as Archdeacon and years of service on Standing Committee. At the service of farewell parishioners and colleagues gave thanks for the openness with which Bronwyn’s ministry has been expressed, her willingness to listen and be alongside people as pastor and her engaging liturgical and preaching style. We also appreciated the way that Bronwyn has encouraged and strengthened the relationship in the parish with clergy and laity of Te Tairawhiti. Bronwyn is retiring to Blenheim where she will be close by her two adult sons and their wider family. Bronwyn we wish you, and your beloved dog Roman, safe travels as you spend the next few weeks tidying up and moving. We value your ministry here in Waiapu from Porangahau, to Gate Pa (a short stint on the West Island!) and then in Turanga-nui-a-kiwa/Gisborne and Eastland.

This Sunday I will be at the Cathedral to farewell our Dean, the Very Rev’d Di Woods, who is moving on from Waiapu and heading to Auckland. Di has ministered as Dean for the past three years but her connection and relationship with Waiapu extends much further back to her arrival as a gap tutor at Woodford House nearly 40 years ago. Since then, Di has been a member of the Cathedral Choir then served in the NZDF alongside exploring discernment for ministry through Waiapu with the encouragement of the then Bishop, the Rt Rev’d Murray Mills. Di has served her parish ministry for the most part in Waiapu between an associate role at Holy Trinity Tauranga, being Vicar of Taradale and then Dean of Waiapu Cathedral, with a variety of excursions into Defence Chaplaincy and some parish ministry in Auckland. Di has brought to the Cathedral parish a passion for discipleship and an encouragement to share the Jesus story in our daily life and work. As well as that Di has also metaphorically and physically ensured that our doors remain open to the vulnerable and often overlooked communities in Napier, creating a safe environment for everyone to be able to worship in the Cathedral community. Di has also encouraged music, prayer and preaching in the Cathedral worship and brought out the gifts of our lay parishioners in particular. We wish Di well as she leaves Waiapu and heads to Auckland and give thanks for the gifts of ministry with which God has graced us with Di as Dean.

Sabbatical rest, reflection, renewal

The few days after Easter Monday afforded me some rest days which were very welcome. One of our priests reminded me during Holy Week of the delightful story, ‘Jesus’ Day Off’ written by Nicholas Allan. It’s a children’s story but with a message that I’m sure we can all relate to about the importance of having a day off. You can follow along a reading of the story here, if you like. A good day off can be enormously refreshing for body, mind, spirit, family, all the parts of our life. The idea of sabbath and having regular spaces in our lives for rest and reflection are supported through the creation narrative, the seventh day as a day of rest. Our Church encourages clergy to take a longer sabbath rest on a regular cycle, and for the Bishops of our province that comes around every five years. Funding is made available through the Church outside of the Diocese, for the provision for a Bishop to take three months sabbatical for rest, refreshment and renewal.

I’m about to start my three-month sabbatical next week with travel to the USA, UK and Europe with a focus on attending two conferences for some input, exploring my own heritage and whakapapa for refreshment, sometime reflecting on church practices with clergy in the UK, and including some intentional retreat days for renewal. I’m looking forward to what will be the first time I’ve taken a three-month block of time away.

While I’m away the Diocese will be cared for by our Vicar General, The Rev’d Robert Kereopa, our Diocesan Registrar, Colleen Kaye, and our Diocesan Chancellor, Jeremy Johnson, our ACW Kaihautu, Rawhia Te Hau-Grant, and the whole Bishop’s Leadership Team. My hope and prayer for you all while I’m away is that you won’t notice that I’m gone, in the sense that aside from me not being around the everyday activities and responsibilities of the Diocese will continue to be fulfilled. I have every confidence that the team will continue to see things function and flourish in my absence. They are all well positioned with excellent teams for support. If you have any queries that you would ordinarily address to me, please direct them in the first instance to my EA, Sandra Gifkins, sandra.gifkins@waiapu.com. During my sabbatical I will not be clearing or responding to emails.

So, God willing, I will leave Hawke’s Bay on this coming Thursday 8 May and will return mid-August following what promises to be an exciting and engaging end to my sabbatical with a pilgrimage with the Navajo Episcopal communities in USA. I would appreciate your prayerful support while I am away and be assured that the Diocese and the ministries you all hold will remain in my prayers during my sabbatical.

Go well with God’s blessing and peace, may you take that peace into the world in love, and may each person you meet experience the hope which is within you.

Nga mihi,

+Andrew