The Rt Rev Dr Anne van Gend has been ordained and installed as the 11th Bishop of Dunedin to serve the 360,000 people in Otago and Southland through the thirty Anglican parishes of the Diocese she now leads. 

Around 500 worshippers packed St Paul’s Cathedral for the festal Eucharist and ordination last Saturday, which was led by Archbishop Don Tamihere, Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa and Archbishop Justin Duckworth, supported by the Cathedral of St Paul's Dean Tony Curtis. 

Presenting Bishop-elect Anne, the Archbishops spoke of the role of bishops within the church of God, which is to equip God’s people for their work of ministry and to build up the body of Christ as shepherds: seeking out and caring for those in need – to heal and reconcile, uphold justice and strive for peace. 

Kaikaraka Suzanne Ellison MNZM and Mere Montgomery called to open the event, while Ven Susan Wallace called in response as Bishop-elect Anne, her whanau and supporters entered St Paul's Cathedral preceded by dozens of clergy and bishops from around the motu. 

Later in his sermon, Archbishop Justin Duckworth related an amusing conversation he'd had with Bishop Anne, where she expressed how relaxed she'd felt about the ordination service, and teased him that the main stress of the occasion would be on the person delivering the sermon. 

He thanked the Diocese for choosing ‘‘one so wise and compassionate’’ to be its eleventh Bishop — to general laughter.

Rural Dean for Southland Rev Richard Johnson, who has worked closely with Bishop Anne on initiating a rural chaplaincy ministry in the Diocese of Dunedin, believes she brings vital qualities to the diocese.

"[She has] a deep incarnational faith, a love for the people and landscapes of Otago and Southland, and a heart for exploring ways of ministering and growing faith in rural areas’’. he said.

Archdeacon of Central Otago, Ven Damon Plimmer believes Bishop Anne has many qualities to bring to her new role. 

‘‘Anne is an innovator. She is a well-spring of joy. She is a leader who embraces diversity and an expansive vision of the Christian life,’’ he said. 

Archdeacon Damon recounted an example of Bishop Anne’s innovation has been the ‘‘Mulled Evenings’’ initiative across small towns in Otago and Southland, an informal opportunity for people to gather in local pubs and taverns to ask questions of the southern Catholic and Anglican bishops.

‘‘[This was] opening the doors of the church, letting in laughter and lightness, and the seeds of life to be sown,’’ he said.

Bishop Anne shared that as she has prepared for her new role as Bishop of Dunedin, she has felt ‘‘absolutely filled to the brim with love and support’’. 

‘‘I have family and friends here with me from all over New Zealand and overseas, which is just wonderful,’’ she said. 

Former General Secretary of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Jackie Pearse worked closely with Bishop Anne in their former roles as Diocesan Registrar and Ministry Development Officer for Australia's Anglican Diocese of the Northern Territory. 

Jackie remembers Anne  and Bishop Clyde Wood turning up to offer worship at the end of a rutted track on a stage of raised crates, where Jackie and the local congregation sat in the dirt in 33-degree heat.

For her it was an ‘‘unforgettable’’ experience of ‘‘a beautiful service celebrating God’s love and welcoming those being confirmed into God’s church.’’

‘‘Anne has great personal charm with a ready laugh and a good sense of humour, qualities much needed in ministry,’’ she said.

‘‘[Anne] lives out the principals of Galations 5:22-23 better than almost anyone I know: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

She loves to talk about theology and she weaves scripture, stories and theology when she speaks in a way that is totally engaging.’’ 

For Bishop Anne, taking on the mantle of Bishop of Dunedin is the culmination of decades of service to far flung Anglican Church communities like those in the Northern Territories.

In the Diocese of Dunedin she has served with a focus on rural ministry since 2021, first as Rural community ministry enabler and more recently as Diocesan ministry educator. 

Prior to her ordination as deacon(1997) and priest (1998), Anne van Gend worked as a music therapist, English and music teacher in Australia, Zambia and South Africa.

She held various priestly appointments in Australia between 1997-2007, before becoming Diocesan enabler for local shared ministry in Auckland from 2007-11, then Ministry development officer in the Australian Diocese of the Northern Territory from 2011-13. 

Bishop Anne received her doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington in 2015, which looked deeply into how modern Christians can reimagine the doctrine of the atonement.

For Jen Chamberlain, a licensed lay minister and aged-care support worker for St Andrew’s Cromwell, the guidance she has received from Anne as Diocesan Ministry Educator has been enjoyable and invaluable. 

‘‘Her book, Restoring the Story: The Good News of Atonement, highlights her ability as a gifted and talented storyteller for this decade’s audience and beyond,’’ she said.

Dr Lisa Emerson, a lay preacher at St Matthew's and St Oswald's in Palmerston North, has been a friend to Anne of 25 years. She believes Anne's ministry up to this point will serve her well in her next leadership phase.

‘‘Wherever she has found herself — whether working with young people in Zambia, with indigenous communities in Arnhem Land, with teachers and chaplains in Anglican schools, or local shared ministry in Whangarei — her work has involved enabling and resourcing others, both laity and clergy.’’ 

‘‘She is passionate about supporting small rural communities and deepening the faith of clergy and lay people alike."

Preaching for the ordination, Archbishop Duckworth told the congregation how he was struck by the hard challenges of life in today's world: not least the impact of wars, climate change, and the geopolitical situation.

‘‘And in Aotearoa, the situation with our health system, education and unemployment can feel as though things are unravelling,’’ he said.

In the light of all that's going on in the world, he called the church to enter a time of restoration – as it has done so many times throughout history.

‘‘God is always seeking to restore — it is in the nature of God to draw people to him.’’

Archbishop Duckworth spoke of a Hebrides Island church back in 1949, where no young people were attending. Two sisters in their 80s took it upon themselves to pray for many hours on Tuesday and Friday nights, ‘‘and suddenly the church was filled with young people’’.

‘‘I have hope that most Anglican churches have a couple of 80 year-olds, and that God has what he needs for restoration."

‘‘God partners with us as we reaffirm that it is God’s church, and recognise that the church is a partnership.’’

Speaking of God’s call to leadership, Archbishop Duckworth said those in the church were ‘‘all called to recognise that we don’t have all the answers, but God does’’.

Jen Chamberlain believes she has seen qualities in Anne that will continue to serve the church well. 

‘Anne will gently nurture all as they need, but she is not afraid to bring light in on abuse, re-steer the misguided or reconfigure misinterpretations, as her own way of living breathes out the way of Jesus.’’ 

‘‘My first meeting with Anne really told me who she was. Joy bubbles from her very readily. She creates a zone of safety and has an aura of empathy and sympathy that holds one in a nest of comfort. 

‘‘In that one meeting, I knew here was a senior ministerial figure who was passionate about Jesus and making His life, His purpose, and His church relevant to the modern-day children, teenager, adult or aged-care person, and was prepared to cut through the systems and structures that bind us.’’ 

As Bishop Anne came forward to offer herself to the role of Bishop on Saturday, the St Paul’s Cathedral choir led both congregation and supporting guests in a fittingly magnificent sung choral Eucharist accompanied by organist Mark Patterson, while the moving litany of saints that preceded the laying on of hands was led by All Saints' choral scholars. Among the many she acknowledged at the end of the service, Bishop Anne singled out the musicians for her special thanks.

The joy of Saturday’s consecration and installation service was enhanced for Bishop Anne by the extraordinary gifts she received, in the form of specially-made and gifted symbols of ministry.

Bishop Anne’s crozier was made by the Little Brothers of Francis in New South Wales, her pectoral cross was gifted by 7th Bishop of Dunedin Penny Jamieson, while her cope and mitre was designed by Anglican National Children and Families' Ministry enabler Diana Langdon and made by Rev Annette Cater of Wellington.

As she moves forward into her new ministry, Bishop Anne is fascinated to see the ways in which the mission of  the Anglican Church will grow across her southern Diocese 

‘‘I am so glad to be part of this diocese, having spent the past few years in a role where I have got to know people from across the community." she said.

‘‘I love this place and I love the people.

‘‘I can’t think of anything I would rather be doing.’’

Bishop Anne is married to Rev Michael Godfrey, a priest in the Diocese of Dunedin, and has two sons, six step-daughters and nine step-grandchildren in Australia.