The 2024 Anglo-Catholic Hui met in Ōtepoti-Dunedin last week, for three days of worship and workshops on growing and enlivening the Church through the riches of Anglo-Catholic liturgy, faith, advocacy, and service. 

This year's hui organisers Rev Canon Michael Wallace, Rev Natalie Milliken and Very Rev Dr Tony Curtis invited Anglicans from around the motu to think deeply and converse on:
–  Anglo-Catholicism in the three tikanga church
–  Anglican religious orders, social justice and peacemaking
–  Mass 101: the Eucharistic heart of Christian community
– Understanding the sacred call to priesthood
– Deepening faith through spiritual direction
– Taking time for retreat and renewal
– Unpacking the power of pilgrimage to connect and heal 

Fr Michael Wallace was delighted to see the hui encouraging a new cohort of Anglicans.

"It was great to see a new group of people enthused, educated, refreshed and equipped through the riches of our catholic traditions of liturgy, justice and service. These are amongst the deeply tried and tested resources we need to call on as we witness to the gospel in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia today."  

The Anglo-Catholic Hui 2024 ran from August 15-17, opening with a festal Eucharist at St Paul’s Cathedral Dunedin, followed by a panel discussion on the role of Anglo-Catholicism in the three tikanga church. Panellists Mere Montgomery, Fr Wiremu Quedley, Tessa Campbell, Very Rev. Frank Nelson and Rev Canon Michael Hughes shared insights on Anglo-Catholicism and its links with whakapapa, Tongan culture and faith, social justice advocacy and invitational faith and community.

Vicar of Waikanae Rev Dr Mark Harris enjoyed the open and inviting spirit of the mass at St Paul's, which he said used the fullness of tradition in a down to earth way.

"We hear myths that worship has to be an either-or thing, either relatable or traditional, but here we see it can be both."

This year's Hui was hosted by Diocese of Dunedin churches St Paul’s Cathedral, All Saints’ - Dunedin North and St Peter’s Caversham, where 120+ Anglicans joined in the programme over the three days and three parishes. 

Prayer and Bible studies on lectionary themes and texts opened each day's session, beginning with St Barnabas Roseneath's Rev Cath Growcott, who turned the gathering's attention to female prophets, leaders and changemakers in the Old Testament. 

Each day saw different styles of worship, with an Anglo-Catholic Cathedral Choral Eucharist and compline at St Paul's on the opening night, midday festal high choral mass and Taize evening prayer with benediction at All Saints', morning prayer from the Tuia app and a parish mass and prayers with Our Lady of Walsingham at St Peter's Caversham.

Ingrid Vleig from St Peter's Palmerston North was struck by the impact of joining in song and chant at All Saints',

"The music was ethereal, adding to the sense of worshipping with one's whole self and becoming part of that much greater Whole - whether it be joining in the hymns, responsorial psalms, the sung liturgy or hearing the exquisite anthems during communion, delivered by a small yet powerful choir."

Rev Clare Barrie, Vicar of St Luke's Mt Albert and Rev Ivica Gregurec, Precentor at Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland revealed the core truths undergirding Anglican Eucharistic liturgies, breaking down each component for its historic, theological and biblical origins to show how the Eucharistic liturgy constitutes Christian community as the body of Christ.

Clare spoke on the power of signs, symbols and sign-actions, and framed Eucharistic liturgy as “the community doing theology together” and the “engine room of community life”.

Ivica told the hui that often our services of worship suffer from use for what they are not. “Liturgy is not merely an educational exercise… it is not a space for a leader’s individuality or creativity…and it is not a series of dogmatic statements.” 

“When we celebrate the Eucharist we are making the truth present and approaching the mystery that transforms our lives. The Great Thanksgiving is a dialogue of exclamations of fact: The Lord is here! God’s Spirit is with us!" 

Brother Christopher John SSF, Minister General of the worldwide Society of Saint Francis (SSF), shared his insights on Anglican religious orders' work in peacemaking. 

New religious orders arise in response to the “sharp edge of need” of their time, said Br Chris, as he spoke of the Anglican Franciscan Society of the Divine Compassion and the Community of the Sisters of the Church (CSC) that both formed to counter poverty and social inequity.

More recently in Oro Province of Papua New Guinea, he shared how Anglican religious orders are stepping into peacemaking roles in the context of growing violence. He relayed the shocking case of one 2000-person village that was burnt to the ground by Government officials, in retaliation for the killing of a policeman by youths from that village.

Br Chris reported that in the Solomon Islands, CSC sisters continue to serve people in need and protect women and children from family violence. Chris said that back in the early 2000s Solomons civil war, many religious brothers crossed the frontline to bring aid to isolated communities, and CSC sisters such as Phyllis and Lilian went too, to pray with fighters on both the Malaitan and Guadacanal sides, fostering the conditions for peace.

Next up was Rev Dr Katie Marcar, New Testament and Greek lecturer at Otago University, who presented an analysis of the Church Life Survey along with Dean of Dunedin Tony Curtis. 

“Anglican churches are doing best in creating sacred space – a physical space where people encounter God in word and sacrament.” said Katie, speaking from preliminary survey results. 

“Where we could do better is in ministry to children and young people, in small groups and discipleship, community building and encouraging personal spiritual practices such as prayer and Bible study.”

Dr Marcar also highlighted the need to implement stringent safety practices across all church ministries and encouraged Anglo-Catholics to warmly welcome Christians born overseas to join in and help shape church life. 

Dean Tony Curtis pinpointed a generational shift in attitude from the suspicion and aversion to religion amongst Generation X, versus more curiosity and openness in Generation Z.

“Generation X buy into a "death of the church" narrative. But we need to read to the end of the Bible. And spoiler alert: it’s going to be okay! So we have to be in this for the long haul, not for what’s cool or trendy right now. And even more important is that young people don't arrive with all that negative baggage.”

Rachel Slade, John Graveston and Julanne Clarke-Morris presented strategies for involving children and families in the holistic life of Anglo-Catholic church communities, highlighting the need to draw spiritual and seasonal themes "outside the mass" and into intentional spaces where adults and young people can have fun in safe spaces for spiritual conversations.

Fr John Matthews from St Luke’s Havelock North spoke about Anglican priesthood, focusing on the need for personal holiness and ministry of presence. 

“A priest’s primary calling is to “be”, not to do. Dom Gregory Dix tells us that priests are not identified by what they do in the community, but by who they are.”

“So priests, think about what time you are spending with God. If you haven’t spent time with God, you can’t be truly present to God’s people.”

Sister Eveleen Retreat House supporters Kathryn and Michael Earle advocated for the power of retreat to sustain ministry and deepen faith, Bishop Kelvin Wright spoke on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the reflective discipline and joy of pilgrimage, Marion Fairbrass introduced the practice of spiritual direction as a way into spiritual growth, and Vicar of St Peter's Caversham Rev Natalie Milliken and David Hoskins spoke on the cell of Our Lady of Walsingham as an Anglo-Catholic devotion of making space for God.

The next Anglo-Catholic Hui is scheduled for 2025 with location yet to be confirmed.