Tioro! Tioro!
Ka tīorooro ki te rangi e tū nei,
ka tīorooro ki te whenua e hora nei,
ka tīorooro ki ngā taringa o te katoa.
E ngākau hari ana Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa kia whakamōhio atu ki te katoa ka tū he Rūnanga Tohu ki Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu a te 17 ki te 18 o ngā rā o Āperira o tēnei tau 2026, kia noho ai te minenga ki te inoitanga me te whakaarotanga e tika ai, kia āta whiriwhiria i raro i te mana o Ihowa o ngā mano tētahi hei Pīhopa hou o Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu.
With prayer and trust in God’s providence, a vacancy is now formally announced for the Bishop of Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu, and commend this moment to God’s guidance and care. This announcement follows a period of lament and thanksgiving for the life and ministry of the late Bishop Richard Wallace who passed away in January 2024. Bishop Richard was a dearly beloved servant and elder. We honour with deep gratitude and affection his faithful service, and the legacy that he and his entire whānau have left among the people of Te Waipounamu and beyond.
Following the passing of Bishop Richard, Te Rūnanga Whāiti o Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa agreed that after two years of reflection and preparation, the search for a new Bishop would begin. That time has now come.
An Electoral College to prayerfully discern and choose a new Bishop for Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu will be held this year on 17 and 18 April 2026. The Electoral College process will be overseen by Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa, The Most Reverend Dr Don Tamihere, and supported by an Arrangements Committee under a process approved unanimously by the members of Te Rūnanganui o Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa at its meeting held in December 2025.
Further information regarding the process, including the requirements for the nomination of candidates for consideration by the Electoral College, will be shared by the Office of Te Pīhopatanga in due course.
We ask that all members of our Hāhi and iwi join us in prayer and thanksgiving during this time.
Let us pray for all who will take part in this work, and for those who may be listening for God’s call.
He īnoi mō te mahi tapu a te Rūnanga Tohu o Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu
E te Ariki, nāu nei te kī ko koe hei hoa mō tāu iwi whakapono i ngā rā katoa, a, ki te mutunga rā anō o te ao: Titiro atawhai mai ināianei ki tēnei wāhi o tōhau Hāhi. Tohutohungia hoki te Rūnanga Tohu o tēnei Hui Amorangi i te mea e anga ana ki te whiriwhiri i tētahi pononga pai hei hēpara mō tēnei wāhi o tāhau māra wāina, kia whiriwhiria ai ko tāhau e pai ai, he hēpara pono e kakama tonu ana ki te kauwhau i te Rongopai, ki te tautoko i te mea ngoikore, ki te whakamārie i te ngākau iro, ki te rapu i te mea ngaro, ki te whāngai i āu tāngata ki te kai i te wā e tika ai. Whakarongo ki a mātou, e te Ariki, e Ihu, e ora nā, e kingi tahi nā me te Matua, me te Wairua Tapu, ā, ake ake. Amine.
Ngā manaakitanga,
The Most Reverend Dr Don Tamihere
Pīhopa o Aotearoa