Diocese of Dunedin

Ordination of Bishop Kelvin Wright

St Paul's Cathedral in Dunedin was full on the afternoon of the 27th of February 2010, as Kelvin Wright was ordained and installed as the ninth Bishop of Dunedin. The Bishop-Elect entered the Cathedral accompanied by his family and representatives of his former parish of St John's Roslyn. The St John's Choir joined forces with the Cathedral Choir for the occasion.

Kelvin was ordained by Archbishops David Moxon and Brown Turei, and other bishops from throughout New Zealand, before being presented with the vestments and symbols of his office. These included a cope and mitre made by his sister, Valerie Swatridge, and a magnificently-carved crosier.

The service concluded with the Eucharist, and was followed by afternoon tea in the crypt. There are great challenges ahead, but the mood in the Diocese as it enters a new era is one of anticipation and optimism.

More photographs from the ordination service can be found on the Anglican Taonga website, at:
http://www.anglicantaonga.org.nz/News/Tikanga-Pakeha/kelvin-s-installation

A recording of the sermon from the ordination can be found in our new Sermon Archive. This will also include sermons recorded by Bishop Kelvin as he travels around the Diocese.

Kelvin Wright Named as Ninth Bishop of Dunedin

The Electoral Synod held from the 9th to the 11th of October chose the Ven Dr Kelvin Wright, Vicar of the Dunedin parish of St John's Roslyn, to be the next Bishop of the Diocese. The decision was approved by General Synod and the other bishops of New Zealand, and in early November Archbishop David Moxon confirmed Dr Wright's appointment as Bishop-Elect.

Kelvin Wright (57) has been Vicar of St John's since 1999; before that he worked in the Dioceses of Christchurch and Waikato. He is a former Vicar-General of the Diocese of Dunedin.

Dr Wright will be ordained as the ninth Bishop of Dunedin on Saturday the 27th of February 2010, at St Paul's Cathedral.

Back to Church Sunday - 13th September 2009

Back to Church Sunday is an initiative that began in the Diocese of Manchester in 2004. It's based on the idea that many people - those who have never been church-goers, or those who have drifted away - would consider going to church if they received a personal invitation from a friend.

About 26 parishes in the Diocese of Dunedin took part this year. Parishioners were encouraged to invite someone to come along on Sunday the 13th of September, and the churches taking part made a special effort to be welcoming. The first few reports to arrive indicate that Back to Church Sunday has been a success, with significant numbers of new or returned people turning up.

So far, we've heard from two parishes with an attendance increase of about 30% at their main services on the 13th. Also, the parish of Waitaki-North Oamaru reports congregations of twice the usual size at St Mary's, and three times the usual size at Kurow.

Bishop George to Retire

At the Diocesan Synod in May 2009, Bishop George Connor announced his intention of retiring on the 30th of November, which is St Andrew's Day and also the 44th anniversary of his ordination.

Bishop George came to this decision, he says, at the 20/20 Vision Conference held in the Diocese in March. “That was an excellent occasion, with real spirit and energy, and it laid down a vision of where the diocese might be in 10 years. It seemed to me that a new bishop should harness that energy and take the diocese forward in unity and purpose.”

Bishop George says he hopes he will be remembered as a bishop who tried to bring “a caring consistency” to his role. He and his wife Nonie will retire to Waiheke Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, and in his retirement he is considering the prospect of returning to non-theological study.

Installation of Dean Trevor James

The Very Revd Dr Trevor James was installed as Dean of St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday the 15th of March 2009.

Above: Seven deans (with Trevor James in the centre) on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral.

20/20 Vision Conference

This event was held at Otago Girls' High School in Dunedin, from the 13th to the 15th of March 2009. About 70 people attended, lay and clergy, from parishes all over the Diocese. Unlike a Synod, the conference had no formal standing. It was intended to bring together a group of people who care about making the Anglican Church work in our region, so that they could begin to develop an idea of what our Diocese might look like a decade or more into the future.

Bishop Philip Richardson gave an opening address on Friday evening, speaking about the very successful programmes now running in his own Diocese of Taranaki. On Saturday, and on Sunday morning, the conference delegates divided into groups to look at different topics - our resources and strengths now, and the possibilities for the future. On Sunday afternoon the attendees came back together for a brief presentation of the results from each group.

The notes from the focus groups were later turned into a draft report, which is available from this website in Microsoft Word format. Click here to open the file (or right-click and choose "Save target as . . ." to save it).

There was a considerable amount of energy at the conference, and we hope that the report will prove to be a useful starting point for turning that energy into a Diocese that, in 2020 and beyond, is in good health and good heart.

Right: the Organising Committee for the 20/20 conference.

Left: final reports being presented by some of the delegates at the 20/20 conference.