About 300 people turned up at Turangawaewae Marae yesterday to acknowledge Bishop Ngarahu Katene’s 10th anniversary as Pihopa o Te Hui Amorangi of Te Manawa o Te Wheke.
Bishop Ngarahu’s episcopal jurisdiction covers the iwi of the Tainui, Te Arawa and Mataatua waka, and while his own principal iwi ties are to Te Arawa, he has had a long and close association to the Kingitanga.
After his return from serving the Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship in 2000, for instance, Bishop Ngarahu spent the next seven years based in Ngaruawahia, as the Archdeacon of Te Tai Hauauru – during which time he baptised many of Te Arikinui’s mokopuna.
That fact was acknowledged by tangata whenua speakers at yesterday’s powhiri – and they also acknowledged Bishop Ngarahu’s readiness and willingness to be on hand at any occasion the Kingitanga requested.
Archbishop Philip Richardson and Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley were present for the celebrations, and both acknowledged Bishop Ngarahu’s grace and humility as the cornerstone of the good relationship between Manawa o Te Wheke and the Diocese of Waikato-Taranaki.
Bishop Ngarahu preached the kauwhau at the Eucharist held after the powhiri in Kimiora, the Turangawaewae wharekai: he thanked everyone for their support, spoke of his desire to keep preaching simple faith, and to keep his ‘hand to the plough’ for the remainder of his life and ministry.
Canon Robert Kereopa, the Chief Executive of the Anglican Missions Board, echoed his bishop’s kauwhau in his choice of waiata at the hakari:
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
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