New Season for Northland-Wilton Parish
This year, the Parish of Northland-Wilton begins a new season with a shared ministry team of Rev Mel McKenzie and Rev Jessie Thornton-Black, with continued support from the Rev Catherine Froud.
“As a Parish, St Anne’s have a deep heart for building connection with the people of Northland-Wilton and care for many people in the community through Mainly Music, Messy Church, Alpha and a very deep pastoral concern for their neighbours”, says Mel. “We give thanks for the wonderful season of ministry with Rev Paul and Catherine McIntosh”.
Northland-Wilton is a community with a mix of families, and also approximately 50% of people in the Parish boundaries are uni students and young professionals. With a growing number of ordained, lay, and student leaders ministering at the neighbouring Parish of St Michael’s Kelburn and at Chaplaincy VUW, Mel and Jessie felt called by God to explore whether St Anne’s might be open to a creative ministry arrangement, where the pair continue in chaplaincy ministry, in order for them, in time, to extend connections with young adults and new professionals to St Anne’s.
“St Anne’s has an amazing vision of being a church at the heart of the community”, says Jessie. “With the Parish, we are looking to see how God might bless its mission to young families and the school community. Mel and I also are praying God will take our missional community experience of gathering young people, living closely in weekly rhythms of prayer, hospitality and open doors for opportunities for that kind of ministry in the future too.”
“We are taking a team-based approach to leadership and ministry at every level!” says the pair. Mel will be Priest-in-Charge while Jessie a Priest Assistant. St Anne’s has teams which seek to express Jesus’ love for the world UP, also IN to build community and OUT. They are looking forward to digging into our Diocesan focus on discipleship this year and listening carefully to God for what what God is inviting those teams into.
The McKenzie family have moved for 2024 to the Vicarage at Northland, and Rev Tim McKenzie remains the Vicar of Kelburn. “We are hopeful that being present across these three mission units (Northland-Wilton, Chaplaincy and Kelburn) will foster some shared initiatives and resource sharing where it benefits each community”, says Mel. “Alongside this we intend to strengthen the unique aspects of the different congregations in each of these places, so those who arrive feel welcome and a sense of belonging in Jesus. We feel deeply grateful to the generosity of the Northland-Wilton and Kelburn congregations for their willingness to embrace this new move.”
Mel and Jessie will be installed by Bishop Justin Duckworth at a service at St Anne’s on the 20th of February, 7pm.
