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The Revs Ted and Margaret Good stand either side of their daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Hugh Kemp.

The manuhiri being called on to the marae - which was a marquee, pitched in the Cloisters' quadrangle.

"I think God is doing something new here." The Rev Frank Smith, the Dean of Tikanga Pasefika students at SJC.

That's the Rev Katene Eruera, who is the Dean of Tikanga Maori students at St Johns.

That's Rev Tarawau Kapa, whose grandson, Cedric Kapa, was accepted into SJC this year. This family hails from Kaikohe.

That's Karen Kemp in the foreground, with Bishop John Paterson behind. He was on hand, when needed, with translations of the whaikorero.

The guitarist here is Mrs Rena Hohaia, She's mum to Pareteaniani Hohaia, who is entering SJC this year. They come from Waimamaku in the Hokianga.

That's Stephen Jacobi, the Chairman of the St John's College Trust - greeting Rev Jayson Rhodes, the new college communications lecturer.

That's Rev Iritana Hankins in the pith helmet - she's the president of The Mothers' Union - greeting Winnie Douglas, who is a student at St John's.

"Prepare to be disturbed": Archbishop Philip Richardson preaching his sermon.

Bishop Kito Pikaahu prays for Rev Dr Eseta Mateiviti-Tulavu, the new College Chaplain. That's Rev Tony Gerritsen at left.

The Principal/Manukura of St John's College, the Rev Tony Gerritsen, blesses the students after they have been commissioned.

One of the small fry checks out what's happening at the back of the marquee.

Lloyd Ashton | 11 Feb 2014 |

New academic year, new dean, new students, new appointments – and even a Manukura/Principal who has only running-in kilometres on his clock…

Perhaps as many as 300 came out to St John's College on a blazing February Sunday afternoon to extend a welcome to them all.

In fact, when Dr Frank Smith got up to share in the powhiri, he reckoned that he’d never seen such a big turnout at any of the previous 14 annual college openings he’d taken part in.

And that, in turn, led Dr Smith – who is the Dean of the Tikanga Pasefika students here – to muse that “God must be doing a new thing” at the College of St John the Evangelist.

Yesterday afternoon’s service was both a formal welcome to the new and returning members of the college community – and the opportunity to install The Rev Karen Kemp as the new Dean of Tikanga Pakeha students.

Karen wasn’t the only one being sworn in to her new task.

The Rev Dr Eseta Mateiviti-Tulavu was installed as the College Chaplain, and the Rev Jayson Rhodes inducted as a communications lecturer.

Archbishop Philip Richardson – who is the Archbishop of the New Zealand dioceses – was on hand to induct Karen into her new task, and he also preached the sermon.

He addressed the college newbies, fair and square: “Prepare to be disturbed,” he said.

He reflected on his own time at St John’s in the early eighties – in the wake of the Land Marches, the peace flotilla and at the time of the 81 Springbok Tour.

He warned the students that their time at St John's would be unsettling, stretching and challenging – and suggested that if they tried to play safe, and look for comfort, they would be missing out on the riches on offer.

Archbishop Philip suggested that while the academic programme that they’d tackle was invaluable, it’s in the living and worshipping together, with fellow students and staff, that the real growth would surface.

Furthermore, he reckoned, chances are they would encounter God more often outside the confines of church and college than within it, and St John's had to be careful not to presume that God’s preferred address was 200 St John’s Rd, Meadowbank…

When the service was over, the congregation moved up the hill to what was Te Rau Kahikatea. Beverley Lady Reeves was on hand there to rename and rededicate that building as the Sir Paul Reeves’ Centre, which is now the College’s Post Graduate Centre.

Afterwards folk lingered long into the warm summer evening.

Happy, apparently, to bask in the afterglow of the service, the installations and the dedication.