Rev. Dorothy Elaine Smith has been ordained as an Anglican priest, marking a powerful spiritual moment shaped by years of service.
Held at Pākirikiri Marae in Tokomaru Bay on May 3, 2025, by Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Tairāwhiti and Te Rau Theological College, the ordination was deeply moving for her. “It was amazing,” she said. Up to 80 whānau from across the Amorangi gathered to celebrate a joyful occasion of ministry and mission: the ordination of two and the commissioning of seven.
Rev. Dorothy Smith was ordained as a priest, while Wiremu Paenga was ordained as a deacon. Commissioned as Kaikarakia were Grant and Susan Dargie, Tuhoe Huata, Ahi Pere, Larissa Ruru, Eli Tapine, and Kemara Pewhirangi.
The journey to the ceremony reflected the transformation to come. “The weather was miserable in Gisborne, cold and raining, right up to the coffee shop on the way to Tokomaru Bay. Then the fog cleared. You came out of a gloom into a beautiful setting.”
Rev. Dorothy with Archbishop Don
The hospitality stood out. “I loved the people. It reminded me of my marae in Waipatu, Hastings — really old-school, where you look after the manuhiri.”
When Archbishop Don Tamihere and the priests laid hands on her during the service, she described a spiritual release. “It was like everything I didn’t need vanished. God, through these people, gave me a new body, heart and wairua. I was stripped of the unnecessary and lifted and filled with light.”
Laying of hands
As they sang Wairua Tapu Tomo Mai, she felt the depth of the moment. “It was like a chant — kupu by kupu, emotion after emotion left me. For days after, I didn’t even know who I was. I was grounded, but everything felt clean.”
Her faith journey began at Waipatu in Hastings, where she was baptised, confirmed, and attended Sunday school at St Matthew’s Church. She remembers her 1967 confirmation clearly: “150 of us — girls in white dresses and boys in white shirts.”
Her call to ministry came in 1992 after the death of her father. “He came to me in a dream, calling me to the Church. My mother was always a spiritual teacher in our home.”
After returning from Australia in 2002, she began discernment with Ven. Numia Tomoana. In 2010, she was commissioned as a kaikarakia under Archbishop Brown Turei.
Since her ordination, she has presided at services in Waimārama, Hukarere Girls’ College, and Te Aute College. “When I presided at Hukarere, it felt like I was officiating a wedding. After the service, the girls sang Hallelujah — and the whole church was dancing. The building itself felt alive with joy.”
She works in the ministry team at Te Aute College and Hukarere Girls’ College with Rev Zhane Tiopira Tahau and Rev Erice Fairbrother. “I’m not academic — I’m practical and hands-on. Working with Erice, who’s Pākehā, has opened me up to different ways of learning and teaching. I’ve grown a lot.”
Since stepping into the role in February 2025, Smith has faced challenges with openness and humour. “There’ve been some big speed bumps, but everything’s coming good. I just need to keep spreading the word — and believe I can.”