The General Synod Te Hīnota Whānui has reaffirmed its commitment to a three-tikanga primacy, comprising the senior bishops of the Māori, Pākehā and Polynesian tikanga (cultural strands) of this Church as appointed by each tikanga.

This decision made in the virtual Synod meeting by Zoom today, reaffirms that the primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia will continue to be the senior bishop of Tikanga Māori, Tkanga Pākehā and Tikanga Polynesia, up till General Synod Te Hīnota Whānui 2026.

Currently the senior bishops of each tikanga are: Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa for Tikanga Māori, the Senior Bishop of the New Zealand Dioceses for Tikanga Pākehā and the Diocesan Bishop of Polynesia for Tikanga Polynesia.

After Motion 2 passed to reconfirm the shared primacy model for the next six years, General Secretary Rev Canon Michael Hughes announced that in light of that decision, the Tikanga Pākehā Conference (TPC) has reappointed Archbishop Philip Richardson to a further primatial term as Senior Bishop of the New Zealand Diocese for three years leading up to 30 June 2023.