The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced the recipients of the 2023 Lambeth Awards this week, which have gone to 33 recipients including two well-known Aotearoa New Zealanders, Ven Dr Hirini Kaa and Brother Christopher John SSF. 

As Archbishop Justin Welby presented the awards at a ceremony at Lambeth Palace on 22 June 2023, followed by a service of evening prayer, he lauded the award recipients saying many had worked unseen and unsung, striving for justice, peace, reconciliation, advances in education, worship and prayer. 

 “... through their endeavours, they have made significant contributions to the mutual respect and maintenance of human dignity, which is so vital to spiritual and social health and the flourishing of mankind.” he said.

“The Lambeth Awards shine a light on their outstanding efforts and dedication.”

The Venerable Dr Hirini Kaa – the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship

Ven Dr Hirini Kaa was granted a Lambeth Award for outstanding service as a church historian and theological educator and for outstanding scholarship in the research and publication of the award-winning book Te Hāhi Mihinare – The Māori Anglican Church. 

Archbishop Justin Welby shared his thoughts on Dr Kaa’s book ‘Te Hāhi Mihinare’ at the awards ceremony in Lambeth on Thursday,

"[Te Hāhi Mihinare – The Māori Anglican Church] is a breakthrough and will be so important in how we tell our stories." 

Dr Kaa’s Lambeth Award citation for the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship reads:

“Archdeacon Dr Hirini Kaa, whose father was an archdeacon and whose grandfather was also prominent in the church, has a deep knowledge of the history of Māori Anglicanism. He has over two decades of experience as an educator in the Church and university sectors and is a highly sought after public theologian and commentator. 

His book Te Hāhi Mihinare is a ground-breaking look at the birth, growth, struggles and ongoing life of the Maori Anglican Church - a first-of-its-kind look at the development of the Māori Anglican Church from the point of view of the Indigenous Māori Anglicans who were involved.

The research is ground-breaking and provides never before seen insights into the struggle to establish the Māori Church and to appoint the first Māori Bishop. 

Since publication the book has been recognised by several awards: as Cowinner of the W.H. Oliver Prize for Best Book, NZHA 2021; Winner of the Erik Olssen Prize for Best First Book, NZHA 2021; Co-winner of the 2021 Ernest Scott Prize; and Shortlisted for the General Non- fiction Award at the 2021 Ockham NZ Book Awards as one of the top five Non-fiction books published in New Zealand that year. ” 

Speaking of the significance of his research into Te Hāhi Mihinare Dr Kaa said,

“Christianity, as expressed through the Bible, is actually always “translated” into a culture. So while the missionaries read it as English(men) influenced by centuries of European thought, Māori were always going to read the Bible as Māori.”

In his work Hirini Kaa has brought to light the previously hidden ‘story of the 90%’ which describes the Māori-led story of evangelism and church building in Aotearoa. He also chronicles the story of Māori struggle for mana motuhake in the Anglican Church.

Archbishop Don Tamihere welcomed Dr Kaa’s Lambeth Award today and doubled back on his thoughts as ‘Te Hāhi Mihinare’ launched.

“Hirini is one of our most outstanding academics and scholars. His historical research is always sharp, insightful and profound, connecting narratives and developments that were in their time so central to the thinking of our tipuna, but have somehow been overlooked by subsequent generations. It’s work like this that makes me proud to be Mihinare, and proud to call Hirini whanaunga and friend.” 

Back in 2020 Anglican Taonga featured an interview with Te Hāhi Mihinare author Hirini Kaa:

‘Mihinare history breaks new ground’ and further conversations with Dr Kaa are on e-tangata and The Spinoff and STUFF.

Archbishop Justin Welby granted his first round of Lambeth Awards in 2016. Recipients are recognised for contributions to community service, worship, evangelism, interfaith cooperation, ecumenism and education.