Dear family in Christ,

I write to you from General Synod Te Hīnota Whānui with the news that I have been offered, and accepted, the position of Senior Bishop Tikanga Pākehā within our Province of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. 

Although I find myself looking ahead with a sense of the weight of responsibility, I am trusting God in this process. It is a huge privilege to be asked to lead in this way.

I have huge shoes to fill and wish to acknowledge with a huge amount of gratitude the work of Archbishop Philip, his wife Belinda, and his episcopal team, who have worked so hard and self-sacrificially for our Tikanga. I am honoured and awed to be working alongside Archbishop Don and Archbishop Sione as we continue to explore what it means to weave the three strands of our church together. 

We have had a difficult few years as a church and as a society at large and I think our challenges are not over. However, it is clear to me that we have a unique contribution to make going forward. In particular, I dream of being part of a growing, just, church: in which we have impact in partnering with the Spirit in God’s work of transformation within flourishing local congregations, all in the name of Jesus.

My confidence remains in God’s ongoing redemptive work in every community across the Province; and in the grace of God as the basis of all ministry. Nobody including myself is good enough to see and contribute to God’s Kingdom coming. We all need God’s grace, and we as a Church need to role model a community of costly grace.

You may be wondering what all of this means for us together as a Diocese. The Senior Bishop of Tikanga Pākehā always also remains the Diocesan Bishop for their area. And of course, we are now so blessed to have Bishop Ana alongside providing senior leadership. Bishop Ana and I have spoken together (as you would hope!) about this and we are excited about how this journey will unfold. 

We have a team exploring what the ongoing process of supporting senior leadership now looks like for our Diocese, and will keep you informed as this process goes forward.

As a Movement, our Diocese is in good heart. I am excited about what God continues to do in our midst and we can trust that God’s plans and purposes are good. And anyway, it’s not all about me - it’s about what each of us do together as we live out our call to be a transformative movement of local faith communities.

I do ask you to pray for me, for Jenny, for Bishop Ana, and for our Diocese and Province at large as we navigate this new season.  

In Christ

+Justin