Six people who were recognised for outstanding service to the people of Aotearoa New Zealand in the 2025 New Year's Honours received citations that included their work benefitting people served by the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

The recipients' work in Anglican ministries included contributors to the governance of Hukarere Girls' College (Heke Huata ONZM), Christchurch City Mission (Ross McQueen MNZM), Interfaith cooperation (Jocelyn Armstrong KSO), Industrial and community chaplaincy (Rev Marie Gilpin KSM), Abuse survivor support and advocacy (Jim Goodwin KSO) and legal and governance services to the Anglican Church (Jeremy Johnson KSM).

A brief summary of each of the Honours recipients' contributions (focused on their mahi in Anglican or Mihinare spaces) follows below.

Heke-Turoa Ropine Huata ONZM was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori and education. She was cited for her 40+ years of outstanding leadership contribution to Ngāti Kahungungu iwi education, cultural development and governance, kapa haka, kohanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori movements. Her citation listed her extensive contributions to Māori education, which included 19 years' service as a Trustee of Hukarere Girls' College and eight years' service as President of the Hukarere Old Girls' Association.

Ross McQueen MNZM was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Christchurch, Rangiora and Canterbury rural communities including his almost 50 years' service to the work of the Christchurch City Mission reaching back to 1976. Ross was cited for his support of the Christchurch City Mission through his work on its Finance, Risk Management and Property committee since 1992. It highlighted how his work helped guide the building of the Mission's residential services department, updated men’s night shelter, day programmes facilities, food bank and administration buildings.

Jocelyn Armstrong KSO was honoured in the King's Service Order recognising her service to interfaith dialogue and cooperation over 40+ years. Her citation highlighted her role as General Secretary of the NZ National Council of Churches (NCC) 1985 -1991 and leadership of the NCC into the Conference of Churches of New Zealand (CCANZ). She was cited as a  2003 founder of Auckland's Interfaith Council and Honorary Executive Director of Aotearoa New Zealand's Religious Diversity Centre  2016 - 2024. The honour recognised her 2021 receipt of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Hubert Walker Award.

Jim Goodwin KSO was honoured with the King's Service Order award in recognition of his ongoing service in support of survivors of abuse. Jim's citation recognised his support and advocacy for male survivors of abuse in faith-based care, both as a retired psychiatric nurse and out of his own experience as a survivor of abuse at Christ's College in the 1970s. Jim was recognised for his work in establishing the Christ's College abuse survivors support group, for his five years' service on the Survivor Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions and as a member of the Commission's Trauma Advisory Group. 

Rev Marie Gilpin KSM received a King’s Service Medal for chaplaincy and pastoral care services to the community in Hamilton and Mount Manganui. Marie was cited for her service as chaplain to staff of Westpac Bank, Gallaghers Group and Placemakers in Hamilton, trainer and pastoral carer for the Ministry to Seafarers in Mount Maunganui and eleven years' service as Mount Maunganui RSA chaplain and ANZAC service leader. She was also recognised for five years' service as a voluntary social worker for the Department of Social Welfare in Hamilton, chaplain for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and grief seminar organiser for the Cancer Society.

Jeremy Johnson KSM received a King’s Service Medal for legal, governance and community services to the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Christ’s College and the LGBTQI+ community. Jeremy was recognised for his service as Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu and Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor of the Diocese of Christchurch 2008 - 2020. The citation recognised his service to the Diocese of Christchurch on post-earthquake legal issues and to the Anglican Church on legislation related to blessing same-sex relationships.

You can find the full citations for each recipient on the 2025 New Year Full Honours List here.