On 14 and 15 October St Matthew’s hosted the Wellington Diocese Synod, the governance body of our church, a large team from St Matthew’s transformed the usual worship space into what looked like a wedding banquet, not only in the church but in the hall and outside under a marquee. A few reflections from me on having hosted this weekend as a kind of swan song before moving to Auckland… 

My first Synod was in 2007, since then I have journeyed through Churton Park, St Johns in Auckland, Rangitikei, Pāuatahanui and Masterton as youth pastor, student, curate, vicar, cluster leader and Archdeacon but most of all someone on the Movement journey who loves Jesus and loves the Church.  

My first ministry conference I attended with my whanau saw us as the only family with two kids there, how times have changed in amazing ways.  

My pilgrimage of following the Lord has taken me from London where I grew up, to Africa and then to New Zealand. Since living here we have shifted a lot, each time is costly, painful and sacrificial and Jesus loves that, so I have learnt to love that too.  

We now move onto St Paul’s Symonds Street, part of the family at large in the province. There is the sense of just like once a king and queen of Narnia, always a king and queen of Narina…once a son and daughter of the Wellington Diocese, always….you get the idea; we leave but not really. As a people of pilgrimage towards the new earth and new heavens, you never really leave anything, you just follow the next unfolding steps in the path that is visible by grace and hidden yet to be discovered. 

In my vote of thanks at Synod as well as thanking all the people who needed thanking (including Coach Ian Foster for the All Blacks quarter final victory), I laid out some words I hope that are helpful…It is right to dream for the future of the church, edge and centre, chaplaincy and church, Sunday and mid-week, young and old, yet….when we impose our idealistic, perfectionistic, high-expectation images of the church onto our actual churches, we begin to destroy them.  

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community, even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial.” 

What we have is beautiful, don’t forget or take that for granted! Look around. Yet there is still more to the story to come, how exciting! 

Our leaving service with Bishop Justin is 10:30 am on Sunday 26 November with midday lunch at St Matthew’s, Masterton. Then we are inducted at 7pm on Wednesday 13 December at St Paul’s, Symonds Street. Love to see you at both, either/or!