The Bishop of Auckland, the Rt Rev John Paterson, will retire early next year after 14 years in the post.

Archbishop David Moxon has appointed Bishop Tom Brown of Wellington as his Commissary to preside over the Electoral College to elect a new diocesan bishop.

The College will take place from Friday to Sunday, 5- 8 November, this year. The venue will be Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Bishop Paterson is 64 and was ordained priest in 1970. His did his curacy in Whangarei and then became vicar of Waimate North Maori Pastorate in 1971.

From 1978-87 he was Secretary of the Bishopric of Aotearoa before becoming Provincial Secretary, then General Secretary of this church.

He was elected to Bishop of Auckland in 1995, and the following year became Vice-Chair of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC).

In 1998 Bishop Paterson was elected Primate, a post he held for six years. He took over as Chair of the ACC in 2002.

He is at present in Kingston, Jamaica, chairing the 14th meeting of the ACC.