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Anglican e-Life | 9 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

It was good to be with God’s people at the church of St. Philip and All Saints, Marchwiel, Timaru on Sunday morning. Today I am writing this message from Palmerston North where I am participating in three days of meetings with the bishops of our church.

This coming weekend I will be present for an interfaith event at the Christchurch Buddhist Temple on Saturday morning commemorating the birth of Buddha and praying for world peace. On Sunday morning Teresa and I will be at Ordinations and Commissionings for clergy and kai karakia for Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu. These will take place at Te Tōmairangi o Ihu Karaiti at Te Pā o Te Waipounamu, 290 Ferry Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch. Archbishop Don Tamihere will be the ordaining bishop.

Planning for our annual Synod in September is underway. In respect of Diocesan youth representatives for the Synod we would like to invite parishes / ministry units with young people aged between 16-24 years old who would be interested in attending synod as a Diocesan Youth Rep to send in nominations. It’s super simple – just fill in the form here. Diocesan youth reps have voice and vote at Synod. Nominations need to be made by Friday, 2 May. If you have any questions, please contact Rev’d Sammy Mould by email or phone.

A week or so ago we learned of terrible, destructive quakes in Myanmar.

Ian McInnes of Tearfund writes, “We’re moving fast together with our local Christian partner, who has been working in Myanmar since 1995 and has a trusted relationship with communities there. Your church’s financial support could put faith into action and… Provide life’s essentials, such as food, safe drinking water, hygiene items, emergency shelter supplies, mosquito nets, bedding, and more! … From my experience responding to disasters, every second matters when lives are at stake. So, your community’s support this Sunday will make a tangible difference in getting the right supplies and people to communities in serious need. You can donate your church’s offering online or via bank transfer. We’ve also created a PowerPoint slide you could download and use.”

Thank you for being a community that puts your faith in action and for holding the people of Myanmar in your prayers. We pray that God would use his people far and wide to bring relief to our brothers and sisters in Myanmar right now:

Account Name: The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund T/A Tearfund
Account number: 12-3024-0505787-01
Code: 236-25
Ref: 1041628

Cole Yeoman, a parishioner in the Parish of Bryndwr, is currently living in the West Bank. From time to time in e-Life we will be bringing Cole’s reports of life in the West Bank where immense pressure is being exerted by Israel on Palestinians – on their lives, their residences and their livelihoods – in a 21st century version of colonisation.

Meanwhile the terrible suffering and unnecessary deaths all wars unleash on the innocent continue in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan: we continue to pray to the God of peace for peace – a real, lasting and just peace.

This coming Sunday, 13 April is Lent 6 – Palm Sunday. The Gospel reading is (at least) Luke 19:28-40. If our service includes both the Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion then there is an additional gospel reading, Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49. An appropriate focus for Palm Sunday is to ask the question, “What kind of king is Jesus, who comes into Jerusalem in peace and humility”, and who will die “King of the Jews” in a few days’ time?

Incidentally, Ian Paul offers the observation that in Luke 19:28-40 there is no mention of ‘palms’, only of ‘cloaks’.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Throughout our Diocese there will be extra services and special services through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. On Tuesday, in Avonhead in the morning and in Temuka in the early evening there will be our annual Chrism Eucharists with opportunity for clergy present to renew their ordination vows and for oils for rites of our church to be blessed. May we all, across the ministry units of our Diocese grow closer to Jesus Christ, deepen our solidarity with him in his sufferings and experience afresh the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11).

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 2 April 2025

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Dear Friends,

The proximity of Timaru to Dunedin meant that on Friday and Sunday morning, Teresa and I were able to be in South Canterbury, spending time with clergy, visiting Craighead Diocesan School and participating in Mothering Sunday services at St. Mary’s, Timaru, with Archdeacon Ben Randall. In between, we had a lovely day trip on Saturday to Dunedin for Bishop Anne van Gend’s ordination and installation as Bishop of Dunedin. The whole weekend was blessed with plentiful sunshine and many happy conversations.

Taonga has a report on Bishop Anne’s service in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

On Sunday evening, back in Christchurch, we were at St. Michael’s and All Angels with Reverend Jordan Greatbatch for a special Evensong service to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Mountfort (1825-1898), Canterbury’s leading architect in the first fifty years of the European settlement). The particular connection with St. Michael and All Angels is that Mountfort designed the bell tower and the lychgate there. The service was put together by Fr Jordan and Dean Ben Truman, with the Cathedral Choir leading the music – the Cathedral’s role recognising that Benjamin Mountfort, from 1874, was the local, supervising architect for Christ Church Cathedral in the Square (the presiding architect, George Gilbert Scott, London based and never visiting Christchurch). Members of the Mountfort family were present and Archdeacon Nick Mountfort led the prayers. Our preach was Dr Ian Lochhead, art historian and author of A Dream of Spires: Benjamin Mountfort and the Gothic revival. My thanks go to all who planned and delivered this service and to Haydn Rawstron whose prompting led to the service happening. For more about Benjamin Mountfort, read here.

Last Wednesday, Te Kotahitanga (or advisory board to the St. John’s College Trust Board, of which I am a member), the St. John’s College Trust Board (including the Reverend Dr Carolyn Robertson) and General Synod Standing Committee (including our Diocesan representative, the Reverend Toby Behan) met in Auckland – the first time these three groups have met together in a very long time. Our shared deliberations were focused on how we may best distribute the income of the Trust Board (which is purposed for education and training according to Christian principles in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) with particular respect to matters of financial equity between the Three Tikanga, each of which is differently resourced in respect of trusts and endowments from the past. It will take us a couple of years to reach a new agreement on the most just way forward.

This Friday, 4 April, is Principal Penny Tattershaw’s last day with students at St. Michael’s Church School. Her time as Principal of the school will conclude during the April holidays. I am grateful to Penny for her sustained work through the past seven and a half years to grow the school roll and to develop the educational opportunities available to students at the school. Thank you, Penny for your strong leadership through a challenging period in the history of one of our oldest Anglican schools!

Bishop Ngarahu Katene, Pihopa o Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa Te Wheke (i.e. a region including Waikato, Northern Taranaki, Western Bay of Plenty, King Country) retires this month from his role. Please give thanks to God for Bishop Ngarahu’s ministry and pray for him to enjoy a restful and long retirement.

I am pleased to hear news that the Alpine Presbytery has extended a call to the Reverend Pauline Hampshire to be the minister at the Community Church of Akaroa Banks Peninsula (that is, the combining of the Anglican and Presbyterian parishes of these districts). The Ordination and Induction service will be at 3.30pm on Sunday 29 June. We are looking to include the inauguration of the new parish at this service. Presbyterian and Anglican traditions of the parish will be reflected in the service. In the meantime, I am very grateful to Anglican clergy who are regularly leading services in Akaroa and other parts of the bays, pending Pauline’s arrival.

Thanks be to God, the Reverend Patrick Chrisp has begun his Interim Priestly ministry in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton. Please pray for him and Trusella, his wife, as they settle into this ministry, after many years’ service on the African continent.

This coming Sunday, 6 April is Lent 5. The Gospel reading is John 12:1-8. What moves us most emotionally in this story?

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 26 March 2025

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Dear Friends,

This Saturday, at 1pm, the Reverend Dr Anne van Gend will be ordained a bishop and installed as the Bishop of Dunedin (i.e. the territory covered by Otago, Southland, Fiordland and Stewart Island). Please pray for Anne as she prepares for this service and for our Archbishops, Justin, Don and Sione as they prepare to lead the service which will take place in St. Paul’s Cathedral. A number of people from our Diocese will be present at the service, including Teresa and me, Archdeacon Indrea Alexander and the Reverend Lucy Flatt, representing the women clergy of our Diocese; Archdeacon Ben Randall as Archdeacon of South Canterbury, the region most closely neighbouring the Dunedin Diocese; Dean Ben Truman and Mrs Vivienne Jackson.

On Saturday morning, I was delighted to be at Glenroy Lodge, Hororata, to speak to the Christchurch Mar Thoma congregation at their weekend camp. The Mar Thoma church in South India traces its history back to St. Thomas the Apostle, who took the Gospel to India. The congregation here is overseen by the Reverend Sabu Samuel, a priest based in Auckland, and by the Bishop of Chennai, Gregorios Mar Stephanos, whose responsibilities include Mar Thoma churches in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Some of the Mar Thoma members are also involved in the life of our parishes, including the chief organisers of the camp, Dr Babukutty Yohannan and Dr Laly Samuel. It was a privilege to meet Bishop Gergorios Mar Stephanos, and the Reverend Sabu Samuel who were also at the camp.

On Sunday afternoon, “A Short Course in Christian Living” concluded. This weekend was organised and hosted by the Cursillo communityof our Diocese and included some observers from other dioceses, keen to see how this revised form of the Cursillo three-day weekend worked. My delight in being part of the concluding sessions of the weekend, including a closing eucharist, was to see and hear how our Lord Jesus Christ Himself had impacted the lives of the pilgrims on this “short course”. I thank and congratulate our Cursillo community for their work on this weekend course.

During the Sunday afternoon service, we congratulated the Reverend Heather Stewart on 40 years of ordained ministry. Thank you, Heather, for your faithful service!

Following the recent news of massacres of Christians in Syria I wrote to the St. George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Christian church which gathers here in Christchurch for worship in one of our churches, St. Nicholas’, Barrington Street. In return I have received this message: “Thank you for reaching out with your kind words and prayers during this deeply distressing time. The reports from Syria are indeed heartbreaking, and our hearts are heavy as we witness the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We truly appreciate your support and the prayers of the wider Christian community. It is a great comfort to know that we are not alone in this struggle and that the body of Christ stands together in faith and hope. Please continue to remember us and all those affected in your prayers. May God’s grace and peace be with you and your ministry”.

With Easter just around the corner, the Bible Society suggests:

“What better way to celebrate than by helping the children in your life discover the true story of Easter? Thanks to our generous supporters, we’re excited to offer free copies of The Very First Easter—a fun and engaging booklet for primary-aged children. (If you’re able, a small gift to help cover printing and distribution costs would be greatly appreciated.)”

This coming Sunday, 23 March is Lent 4. The Gospel reading is Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. What is this parable about? “The Prodigal Son,” “The Waiting Father”, “A Study in Contrasts: Two Very Different Brothers”? Noting the preceding two parables, the major point of the parable is that God is the waiting father, the One who yearns for us to return to him and joyfully celebrates when we do so. The minor point is that not everyone shares the attitude of the waiting Father God: our attitude to repentant sinners will demonstrate whether we have the character of God in our hearts, or otherwise.

This week the need for peace and justice in our world is as urgent as it has ever been in the past few years, with special reference to gratuitous violence by various armed forces in the name of causes which have nothing to do with advancing God’s work of love and mercy in the world. Pray!

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 19 March 2025

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Dear Friends,

It is horrible to wake up this morning to news that Israeli bombing in Gaza – in the midst of an alleged ceasefire – has killed more than 400 Palestinians. Meanwhile, a few countries further over, Trump and Putin are playing some kind of cruel game around what “peace” means for Ukraine as it resists the colonising attempt of imperial Russia to take over Ukraine. (Only the most naïve among us could possibly hold to the belief that Russia in the long run will be content with some limited territorial gains).

Between Ukraine and Gaza, the situation in Syria remains perilous for Alawites and Christians. As Christians we must steadfastly insist on the worth of each human being – all are made in the image of God – and there can be no ill-treatment of others, let alone killing of others, on the basis that this or that people group are deemed to be a lesser people. It flows from our understanding of people in relation to the God of Jesus Christ that we who follow Jesus Christ must work for peace (Blessed are the peacemakers …), for justice (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice/righteousness …) and for mercy (Blessed are the merciful …).

Our sister in Christ, the Reverend June Dalziel, one of our deacons, died on 12 March in Christchurch at the age of 96 years. She was ordained as a Deacon at Holy Innocents church, Amberley in 2003 and had a long and faithful servant ministry that covered the parishes of Glenmark-Waikari, and Amberley, including ministry in the latter parish in St Paul’s church, Leithfield. She was well known for her community facing work as a deacon and will be lovingly remembered for her generous ministry in North Canterbury. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Teresa and I were blessed at the weekend to share in a retreat for Pākehā bishops and spouses at Vaughan Park Retreat Centre, Long Bay, Auckland. On Friday we were able to spend a day at St. John’s College, meeting with our students there and some of the staff. Our students are in good heart and I thank you for your prayers for them: Josh and Jo Taylor, Ciru Mariuki, André and Sarah Muller (all due to return to the Diocese later this year), Jamie and Pattama Somerville and Luke and Sharnee Watson (new to St. John’s this year).

I have received notice of a new film telling the story of Jesus: THE KING OF KINGS will be in cinemas on 10 April 2025 in New Zealand. This animated film, which features an all-star cast including Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamil, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, and Oscar Isaac, brings to life the story of Jesus Christ through the imaginative lens of Charles Dickens narrating to his son, Walter. Watch the trailer here.

Our Diocesan retreat house, Sister Eveleen Retreat House, Sumner has an excellent series of retreats planned for 2025. Details are on their website. Retreats are a valuable way to engage more deeply with the divine life and I commend the planned retreats to you for consideration.

2025 is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (strictly speaking the First Council of Nicaea, which met from May until the end of July 325 AD, and whose main accomplishment was settling the question of the nature of Jesus Christ as both fully human and fully divine). This was the first full ecumenical council of the churches and from it flowed the creed we today call the Nicene Creed. (The original version from this council was amended by a subsequent ecumenical council at Constantinople in 381 AD, and it is the amended version we say today.) I hope in a few weeks’ time to be able to inform you about a time and date for an ecumenical celebration in Christchurch of this council and its significant theological achievement.

This coming Sunday, 23 March is Lent 3. The Gospel reading is Luke 13:1-9. This is a challenging reading (because it engages with the problem of suffering), but its message is clear and simple: each of us should ensure our lives are aligned with God’s life (i.e. we should repent) and should do so without delay.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 12 March 2025

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Dear Friends,

Last Wednesdayevening, it was a joy to be in the Transitional Cathedral to share in the annual Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical Ash Wednesday service, with Bishop Michael Gielen preaching. A very big thank you to Dean Ben Truman and Fr Simon Eccleton who, along with their respective cathedral staffs and choirs, prepared for and led the service. With the worldwide Catholic church, we continue to pray for the good health of Pope Francis.

Let us also pray for a cessation of violence in Syria, to Alawite-led rebellion, where responses by forces aligned with the new government, are resulting in the deaths of innocent Christians.

It was a privilege to be at Trinity Church, Darfield with the Reverend Alexa Evenden on Sunday morning for their 9.30am service and to share in fellowship after the service with the local congregation and later with local clergy and their spouses. For those readers who do not know, Trinity church is a remarkable, probably unique ecumenical building: it is jointly owned by the Malvern Co-operating (Presbyterian-Methodist) Parish and the Malvern Anglican Parish. There is a service in the church every Sunday morning, with each parish alternating responsibility for provision of services. Arrangements work seamlessly with much goodwill in co-operation and have endured faithfully since 1979.

This Saturday, in Auckland, Captain Monika Clark, National Director, Church Army NZ, will be formally farewelled from her national leadership role. We give thanks to God for Monika’s work in this role and pray for the Church Army as it seeks a new National Director. Many readers here know that Monika lives in Christchurch – we will continue to benefit from Monika’s work in evangelism and evangelism training since she will continue to work for the Church Army in a part-time role based here.

One of the things I am often saying as I move around the Diocese is that we are doing well in many ways: Regeneration of our Diocese is taking place as new generations of active members are being welcomed into our services and other aspects of church life. We have also seen a small uptick in annual attendance. There is great resilience in our smaller congregations. Yet, I quickly move onto to say, it is also the case that we are battling a significant high tide wave of secularisation which has been sweeping many people out of expression of Christian faith in active church participation. Thus I was very interested to read in this morning’s Press an article, which underlines my concern about what we are battling against. The heading for this article – on census figures for Christchurch city – is “Religion takes a back seat as secularism pulls ahead”. While I am glad the article includes constructive comments from one of our clergy, the Reverend John McLister, Vicar of Lyttelton and Port Chaplain, I don’t think the article fully represents the strength of active church life in Christchurch as it is experienced across all churches – noting, for instance, the wonderful turn out of 5000+ Christians for the Open Heaven prayer and praise event two weeks ago. Nevertheless, we Christians cannot brush the statistics away. We are in a spiritual battle as we seek what God wants: the growth of the body of Christ on earth.

Encouragingly, there are signs of revival in the Christian faith in the secularised world. The Other Cheek, a Sydney-based Christian blog, reproduces a report by Richard N. Ostling, on a new book by renowned New York Times columnist, Ross Douthat, tilted Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. In the course of this report, which sees this book as a 21st century version of C. S. Lewis’ famous Mere Christianity, we read about significant Christian conversions of influential writers/broadcasters. I note this comment in Ostling’s report: “… prominent British-American historian Niall Ferguson, currently a fellow at Harvard and Stanford universities. He told Greg Sheridan of The Australian that lifelong atheism dissolved when he considered that all attempts to base a successful society on atheism have proven “catastrophic”.” This is a sharp reminder that as Kiwis move away from identifying themselves as Christian, there is a very large question of what that means for the society we are becoming as the tide of secularisation sweeps all before it. We have a Gospel to proclaim and proclaim it we must, for the sake of human life itself, not only for the next world, but also for this one.

This coming Sunday, 9 March is Lent 2. The Gospel reading is Luke 13:31-35. In Luke’s gospel, everything after Luke 9:51, including this passage with its lament for Jerusalem, is shaped by Jesus’ intention to enter Jerusalem and there fulfil God’s plan for our salvation through his suffering for us. Jesus is not deterred by information that Herod the Fox wants to kill him. If he is to be killed it must be in Jerusalem. Our Lenten journey takes us with Jesus to the cross. We will not suffer physical death here in Aotearoa New Zealand for our faith, but elsewhere in the world, horrifically in this past week in Syria, Christians are being killed for being Christian. But what should die within ourselves, if we are to be completely filled with the divine life of Christ?

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 5 March 2025

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Dear Friends,

Last Wednesday evening I was privileged to take part in Open Heaven, an amazing service of prayer and praise, in the Wolfbrook Arena, attended by over 5,000 enthusiastic, joyful Christians from many if not most churches in Christchurch and beyond. “Open Heaven” is a great name for this now annual event: it felt like we were in heaven – the heaven of great worship, envisaged, for instance, in Revelation 4 and 5.

Today is Ash Wednesday and I am glad to be sharing in three school services (St. Margaret’s College, Christ’s College, St. Mark’s School, Opawa) and then, this evening, at 5.30pm in the Transitional Cathedral for the annual Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical service, with Bishop Michael Gielen preaching.

As we begin Lent in 2025, I am delighted that over 700 copies of Theology House’s Lenten studies book have gone out the doors of the Anglican Centre to many parts of our Diocese and beyond to parishes in other dioceses. There is something about Lent which brings the word “intentional” to my mind: if we are serious about following Jesus, then what extra intention might we offer Jesus in this season of journeying with Jesus to the cross? Bible study in groups is one possibility. Fasting from something (Chocolate? Alcohol? Social media?) in order to focus on Jesus is another possibility. Increasing our prayer times, giving to God from our resources and service projects for our communities are also possibilities. All such intentions are offerings from our thankful hearts: Jesus intentionally went to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) to die on the cross for our sakes (Mark 10:45), that we might live for him (2 Corinthians 5:15).

The Reverend Chris Parry-Jennings died yesterday, after long illness. His funeral is at 2pm, Tuesday 11 March, 2025, in St. Christopher’s, Avonhead. Please pray for Helen and their family as they mourn the loss of Chris and as they prepare for the service on Tuesday. Chris was ordained deacon and priest in England and served in several parishes there before coming to this Diocese in 1967, where he served in the parishes of Shirley, Lincoln, Lower Riccarton, Heathcote-Mt. Pleasant, Upper Riccarton and Akaroa-Banks Peninsula. Chris also had roles in chaplaincy to Lincoln University and for SPCK-NZ. In my experience of Chris, he was a gracious, enthusiastic and hard-working minister of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and much loved by his parishioners.

In this year, 2025, when I encourage us to continue our emphasis on Prayer from 2024, there is much to pray for: for peace and justice in our world; for economic good sense among the major trading nations; for Christian faithfulness to the teaching of Jesus Christ and for Christian devotion to Jesus as the one Lord and Saviour of our world; and – always – for the Regeneration of our Diocese in this decade.

It was a privilege to be at St. John’s, Highfield, Timaru with the Reverend Lucy Flatt on Sunday morning for their 8.30am and 10.30am services. It was very good to meet new people in the congregations and to see excellent progress on a new roof for their hall complex. Later that day Teresa and I were at St. Margaret’s College, Christchurch, with Principal Diana Patchett and middle and senior school students for their first Eucharist Service for 2025.

Bishop Anthony Poggo, the Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, has been visiting Anglican provinces in the Oceania region in recent weeks, including a visit to Aotearoa New Zealand. Although Christchurch has not been included in his itinerary, it was excellent yesterday to join a Zoom meeting with him and other bishops from Tikanga Pākehā. Please pray for +Anthony as he and Church of England leaders makes arrangements for the Crown Nomination Commission which will select the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

For a local episcopal prayer need, I ask for your prayers for Bishop-elect of Dunedin, the Reverend Anne van Gend as she prepares for her ordination as a bishop and installation as the next Bishop of Dunedin on Saturday, 29 March.

In relation to Patrick Chrisp’s appointment, announced two weeks ago, to serve in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton, if any reader knows of a house/flat to rent (with at least two bedrooms) in the Hornby or adjoining suburbs’ area, please contact Veronica Cross, my EA, at bishopsea@micorna.org .

I commend “A Short Course in Christian Living” to you, facilitated by the Diocese of Christchurch’s Cursillo Community. Running from 6pm Friday 21 March to 4pm Sunday 23 March 2025 at Cracroft, 151 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch, this weekend offers refreshment in the basics of the Christian faith and Christian discipleship. Further details are noted elsewhere in e-Life.

This coming Sunday, 9 March is Lent 1. The Gospel reading is Luke 4:1-13. Jesus is tested through temptations to ditch the will of God in favour of the will of the Evil One. Those temptations are often also our temptations: to settle for material comfort rather than seek God’s spiritual food; to acquire human power at the expense of devotion to God; to assume God’s power is at our disposal.

Arohanui,
+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 26 February 2025

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Dear Friends,

It was a privilege to be at St. Nicholas’, Barrington Street in the Parish of South Christchurch on Sunday and to confirm Pita, Lorraine, and Stephen. A special joy is seeing the growth and development – the regeneration – of the congregation there under the leadership of the Reverends Jeff and Jo Cotton.

On Tuesday, the Reverend Jolyon White and I made an oral submission to the Select Committee on the Treaty Principles bill. In this submission we highlighted a key point in a written submission made with the approval of Standing Committee: “Our primary objection to the Principles of the Treaty Bill is that it was written by one party to a treaty without agreement from the other party to that treaty.” This objection flows out of our experience of being a Three Tikanga Anglican church in these islands. Māori, Pakeha, and Polynesia talk with each other first before any one party to our constitution presumes to advance a change to our foundational documents.

In our wider world much is being said about the cataclysmic changes occurring in international politics, most disturbingly and visibly illustrated in the past day or so by the USA siding with Russia and North Korea in a UN motion about Ukraine. I share one thing with you which I read – something apt for today but said a very long time ago by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War, 5.89: the powerful act and the weak give way. Or, paraphrasing: the powerful do what they like and the rest of us get bullied.

The times may be a-changing, but the rhythm of our church calendar continues. Next week Lent begins with Ash Wednesday services. I remind you that if nothing is available to you locally, then you are warmly welcomed to the Transitional Cathedral at 5.30pm for the annual Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical service, with Bishop Michael Gielen preaching.

In relation to Patrick Chrisp’s appointment, announced last week, to serve in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton, if any reader knows of a house/flat to rent (with at least two bedrooms) in the Hornby or adjoining suburbs’ area, please contact Veronica Cross, my EA, at bishopsea@micorna.org .

I commend “A Short Course in Christian Living” to you, facilitated by the Diocese of Christchurch’s Cursillo Community. Running from 6pm on Friday, 21 March to 4pm Sunday, 23 March 2025 at Cracroft, 151 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch, this weekend offers refreshment in the basics of the Christian faith and Christian discipleship. Further details are noted elsewhere in e-Life.

Cole Yeoman, on behalf of Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine, writes, “a group of us have been working on ways to mobilise our faith community behind the call for humanitarian visas/reunification for those in Gaza with family in NZ, as we approach day 50 of the Gaza ‘ceasefire’ deal and the anticipated withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt (God willing) allowing exit. Following our friends at Palestinian Christians in Australia, we’ve created an open letter for Christian leaders, organisations, churches and denominational bodies to endorse. ‘Christians United for Refuge Aotearoa‘ gives a short, clear call to get the widest spread of faith leaders endorsing it as possible. We know that combined churches have a strong voice, particularly with this current government, so we’re hoping this might renew momentum for the call at this critical moment.” I have signed this letter, noting that in the terror of recent violence in Gaza, one of the least things we could do via the agency of our government is offer refuge to at least a small group of Palestinians. The intention of the letter is that it can be delivered to Parliament on Ash Wednesday.

Sadly, and very annoyingly, there is a burglary ring targeting lawn mowers: in recent days lawn mowers have been stolen from locked sheds in at least two of our parishes (in Christchurch city). Please be vigilant, secure, and seek advice from the Church Property Trustees.

This coming Sunday, 2 March is Ordinary 8 – the last Sunday before Lent. The Gospel reading is Luke 6:39-49. Challenge and encouragement abound in this last part of the Sermon on the Plain. What speaks to you most plainly?

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 19 February 2025

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Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to announce that:
- the Reverend Les Memory will be 0.5 FTE Associate Priest in the Parish of Avonhead for the remainder of this year, supporting the Reverend Dr John Fox who remains as Priest-in-Charge of Avonhead but only at 0.5 FTE because John has now resumed his 0.5 FTE role as Senior Ecumenical Chaplain at the University of Canterbury.
- the Reverend Patrick Chrisp, currently on mission work in Liberia, will return to the Diocese soon to take up the role of Interim Priest of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton for 12 months.
In relation to Patrick Chrisp’s appointment, if any reader knows of a house/flat to rent (with at least two bedrooms) in the Hornby or adjoining suburbs’ area, please contact Veronica Cross, my EA, at bishopsea@micorna.org .

I am very grateful that in 2025 a number of clergy and lay appointees will be sharing the task of theological education, mission and ministry training and development in our Diocese – generously supported in respect of educational funding by the St. John’s College Trust Board, along with a Diocesan contribution through our annual budget. Our ministry among the generation loosely described as the “Under 40s” continues with the Reverend Sammy Mould, Paul Hegglun, and Azaria Brooker; work with the Household of Deacons continues under the guidance of Archdeacon Nicky Lee. Theology House’s work is sustained by its Director, Gareth Bezett and his staff team, Sarah Larritt and Sarah Dunning. Gareth Bezett will continue his work advising people on study leave, scholarship and theological education advice. Within the sphere of ministry and missional education and support our Diocesan Director of Ordination, the Reverend Jenny Wilkens has increased responsibilities which include leadership of Post Ordination Training, and in this training, she is assisted by Archdeacon Nick Mountfort, the Reverend Chris Orczy and Gareth Bezett.

In 2025, specific portfolios of responsibility are Rural Ministry Development Archdeacon Indrea Alexander; Discipleship Development, the Reverend Sampson Knight; Missional coaching for clergy, the Reverend Carolyn Robertson; and Mission Impact Reviews (MIRs), the Reverend Mark Chamberlain, supported in administration by Archdeacon Nicky Lee. Indrea, Sampson and Carolyn will undertake their work in conjunction with their parish responsibilities.

One of the most important areas of education in the church today is for Safe Ministry. Nathan Muirhead will lead this work in the Diocese and a significant part of our training this year will be led by the Reverend Jemma Allen from the Diocese of Auckland (on a contractual basis).

A final reminder in this pre Lenten period: studying the Bible at any time of the year is a very good thing and I commend study groups being formed in our ministry units for the six weeks of Lent (beginning 5 March 2025). Theology House’s Lenten study for 2025 is available to order now. In the Spirit of Lent follows the lectionary’s Gospel readings for the six weeks of Lent. (Ash Wednesday is 5 March 2025.) Read more.

It was very rewarding to be part of the 175th celebrations for Christ’s College at the weekend. Later this year, the weekend of 28 – 30 November, College House (also part of the Anglican vision for education in Christchurch) will celebrate its 175 years of educational life. Finally, on the theme of “175”, I was pleased to see in the news yesterday that the Mayor of Christchurch, Phil Mauger, has intervened to override a staff recommendation not to celebrate 175 years of the founding of Christchurch as a European settlement. It is a good thing that we deepen engagement with Māori history of our region and that we acknowledge that many ills have flowed from founding a colony here (and from colonisation across Aotearoa New Zealand). But to pretend that we might not have had a significant moment in the history of this region on 16 December 1850 when the First Four Ships sailed into our harbour serves no purpose in the development of our modern identity as inhabitants of this land.

A word to leaders in our co-operating parishes: you should be aware by now of an important UCANZ Forum in Auckland at King’s Birthday weekend, later this year. I am planning to be there and look forward to conversation in the forum about our experiences of co-operation between denominations – in our case, with Presbyterians, in parishes such as Hinds, Mackenzie, Pukaki and Amuri. (The recently formed co-operating parish for Akaroa-Banks Peninsula falls outside the ambit of UCANZ).

I am saddened on a number of counts that members of the Destiny Church were part of a protest in a library in Auckland at the weekend. One count is that such news does nothing to enhance the standing of churches generally in the minds of non-Christians in our country. Another count is that the form of protest seems to have had remarkably little, or even no care for children present at the occasion being protested about. A third count is that, whatever our views on any given issue are, we are a liberal democracy which values freedom of expression. Where people choose to express that freedom in a responsible way (such as an event in a library), any protest (which is also a freedom being expressed) should be carried out in a responsible manner). I cannot see how Destiny Church has acted in a manner befitting the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This coming Sunday, 16 February is Ordinary 7. The Gospel reading is Luke 6:27-38. This passage is just as searching a passage for us to engage with as last week’s passage.To love our enemies is a terrific challenge. But it is a distinctive feature of being Christian that we are called to love even our enemies, to forgive one another and thus to live differently in a world in which wars are fought for gain, revenge is enacted as response to unjust treatment and so on. There is much more to be said and I hope our preachers this Sunday can develop ways in which we can faithfully respond to the radical nature of Jesus’ call to his disciples in this passage.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 12 February 2025

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Dear Friends,

Last Thursday, Waitangi Day, the Ngaī Tahu commemoration of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi was held at Ōnuku marae with the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon present. I commend to you the Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Commemoration Speech given by Justin Tipa on that occasion.

I commend to all in the Diocese the Open Heaven Combined Churches Prayer Event, 6.30pm for a 7pm start, to 9.00pm on Wednesday 26 February at the Wolfbrook Area, 55 Jack Hinton Drive, Christchurch. I will be there along with many other church leaders, leading prayers for our nation. Join me!

The following Wednesday is Ash Wednesday 5 March. I commend on this day our participation in ecumenical services, signifying our commitment to Christian unity as we follow our suffering Saviour, Jesus Christ. For those for whom a local, ecumenical service is not readily accessible, I commend participation in the Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical Service in the Transitional Cathedral at 5.30pm. All welcome (from all denominations). Bishop Michael Gielen will be our preacher.

Studying the Bible at any time of the year is a very good thing but I commend study groups being formed in our ministry units for the six weeks of Lent (beginning 5 March 2025). Theology House’s Lenten study for 2025 is available to order now. In the Spirit of Lent follows the lectionary’s Gospel readings for the six weeks of Lent. (Ash Wednesday is 5 March 2025.) Questions for discussion and prayers are provided in the expectation that groups who use the study will encounter the Word of God afresh. Discussion questions tend towards appropriate Lenten self-reflection, especially corporate self-reflection for our churches. Read more.

Bishop Ngarahu Katene, Bishop within Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa for Te Hui Amorangi o Te Manawa o Te Wheke [King Country, Waikato, northern Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua], has announced his retirement, effective from Easter Sunday 20 April 2025. +Ngaragu has been bishop there since 2006. I give thanks to God for his ministry and pray that he will have a fruitful retirement.

This weekend past Teresa and I have been in Melbourne for events connected to the conclusion of Archbishop Philip Freier’s ministry as Bishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan for the Province of Victoria for the past eighteen years – a period which included six years as Primate of Australia. Joy Freier has been fully involved in this ministry of leadership and together they have been warm and generous friends to many Anglicans around Australia and the whole Anglican Communion, including episcopal leaders in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. It was a pleasure and a privilege to join with most of the Australian bishops, with Bishop Anthony Poggo, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion and with Archbishop Emeritus Philip Richardson from our church in the Farewell Evensong on Sunday afternoon in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Yesterday principals, chaplains and religious education leaders from our Anglican schools were able to meet with Simon Heath and Dr Averil Worner from the Anglican Schools Office. This “regional hub” meeting is part of a series being conducted by Simon and Averil as they move around our church in follow up to a significant report published last year which opens up the question of how we best resource our diverse set of schools from Dunedin through to Apia. I appreciate the commitment of our principals, chaplains and RE teachers to sharing our faith in Christ and developing the “Anglican character” of our schools. For one of our schools this year is particularly important: it is the 175th anniversary of the founding of Christ’s College. Special events take place this coming weekend, including a celebration service in the Chapel on Sunday morning. I am delighted to be a participant in this service, led by Chaplain Cameron Pickering and featuring Bishop David Coles, a former warden of the school and the Reverend Bosco Peters, a former chaplain of the school.

A revamped Association of Anglican Women website is now “live”. I look forward on Saturday morning 22 February to being part of the annual general meeting and commissioning service for our Diocesan AAW.

Many times in e-Life I have asked for prayer for the situation in the Middle East. Despite a ceasefire being agreed to, we need to keep praying, not least for the ceasefire to hold and to be honoured by all sides. Further, whatever we make of President Trump’s recent pronouncements about the future of Gaza, his comments highlight the extraordinary reconstruction project which lies ahead for Gaza and its inhabitants.

This coming Sunday, 16 February is Ordinary 6. The Gospel reading is Luke 6:17-26. We shift from the lakeside (last Sunday) to “the plain”, the setting for Luke’s representation of Jesus’ foundational teaching (in contradistinction to Matthew’s representation through “the Sermon on the Mount”, Matthew 5-7). At the beginning of this sermon Jesus presents four blessings and four woes (6:20-26). These are challenging, especially for those of us who are materially and emotionally blessed. Inherent in Jesus pronouncing blessing on the poor and the hungry is a challenge to us as readers: how might we be part of blessing those in need? At such a point of reflection we might, of course, jump straight ahead in our knowledge of Luke’s Gospel to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) or to the Story of the Rich Ruler (Luke 18:18-30).

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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Anglican e-Life | 5 February 2025

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Dear Friends,

As 2025 gets underway in all post-holiday respects, may our commitment to prayer for the Regeneration of the Diocese continue.

Our key Regeneration prayer is this: As the kotuku gently rests upon the tree, come and rest upon us Holy Spirit as we pray for the regeneration of our Diocese… Everliving God, through your Spirit you constantly renew the whole creation; bring regeneration to your Diocese of Christchurch, grant us courage to grow disciples of Jesus, give us vision to reach young people and their families, and strengthen us to create vibrant communities of faith. All this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. The continuing encouragement from 2024 into 2025 is that this prayer is regularly prayed in our corporate services, prayer meetings and in our personal, daily prayers.

Today is Edwin Boyce‘s last day in office as our Diocesan Manager. Edwin has always worked above and beyond the letter of his job description and the nominal hours of the role. He has served this Diocese with grace, generosity, and good humour. Thank you, Edwin! This morning we had a lovely farewell in the Anglican Centre for Edwin and Essie. Their life in our Diocesan family continues as they serve within the Parish of Upper Riccarton-Yaldhurst. I look forward to continuing engagement with Edwin in his role as Vicar’s Warden of this parish.

Tomorrow is Waitangi Day. We have 15 years to go before the bicentenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This year we are in the midst of considerable national debate over the meaning of the Treaty and the application of the Treaty for the country we have become and are becoming (as new generations are born and as new migrants are welcomed to our shores). My prayer for this year’s Waitangi Day – with our Prime Minister close at hand at Ōnuku, Akaroa – is that we find ways in our kōrero to hold our unity as people together with our diversity as partners to our Treaty. Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu (Te Tai Tokerau) has written an excellent reflection in this morning’s Press (online/print) on the Treaty as “an accord centred around belonging“.

On Sunday morning we were in St Columba’s church, Hornby in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton for a combined churches service for the whole of the parish. This was an important occasion in the life of this parish during its current period of transition after the conclusion of the Reverend Les Memory‘s ministry at the end of November 2024. On Sunday afternoon, we were at the Transitional Cathedral for the first Cathedral Grammar School service for 2025.

Theology House’s Lenten study for 2025 is available to order now. In the Spirit of Lent follows the lectionary’s Gospel readings for the six weeks of Lent. (Ash Wednesday is 5 March 2025). Questions for discussion and prayers are provided in the expectation that groups who use the study will encounter the Word of God afresh. Discussion questions tend towards appropriate Lenten self-reflection, especially corporate self-reflection for our churches. Read more.

This past week a fascinating debate has erupted around some remarks made by J. D. Vance, USA Vice-President, in favour of a hierarchy of love as his nation works out its priorities, underpinned, according to Vance by a notion called “ordo amoris“, which has its roots in the teaching of Aristotle, St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. Catherine Pepinster has an excellent report on what this debate has been about with particular reference to a pushback from UK politician, Rory Stewart. The debate has, however, been engaged online by a number of well-known theologians. Here, I don’t want to engage with the debate but to observe how wonderful it is, as tides of interest in Jesus Christ ebb and flow through this era, that we can still have a global exercise in public theology, with the heat of passionate engagement and the interest of politicians as well as theologians.

Our new Diocesan Manager, Rachelle Mathews began working with us nearly two weeks ago. I am most grateful to Edwin Boyce for inducting her into her new role through this time. I look forward to working with Rachelle – welcome, Rachelle, to your new role and to our Diocese.

This coming Sunday, 9 February is Ordinary 5. The Gospel reading is Luke 5:1-11. Jesus’ encounter with Simon Peter is a call narrative – Peter, representing all disciples, then and now, is called by Jesus to join Jesus in his mission (captured in other gospels by the phrase, “Follow me”). Within this encounter, as he and his fellow fishermen understand the miracle Jesus has performed before their eyes, Peter recognises his sinfulness (with shades of Isaiah’s experience as he was called to be God’s prophet in Isaiah 6:1-8). Humanly speaking, he is not a fit person to be in the company of the holy Jesus. But Jesus takes Peter on. By implication his sins are forgiven, and he is made right with God. Jesus declares, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” We are made disciples by Jesus in order to work with him on making more disciples.

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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