Retirement Service for Bishop of Auckland

A service will be held tomorrow, Saturday February 20th at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell to mark the retirement of the Right Reverend John Paterson as the tenth Bishop of Auckland.

As he retires Bishop Paterson says the role has brought many privileges and challenges. He says that challenges remain for the church and also the wider society and he will outline some of those challenges in tomorrow’s service.

Bishop Paterson says at the heart of a city like Auckland, and a region such as Northland are the people. He says that is what leaders making decisions about issues such as city governance need to remember.

Tomorrow’s service will reflect the positions Bishop Paterson has held in both the national and international church. Bishop Paterson has led the Anglican Diocese of Auckland for the past 15 years. He led the wider provincial church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia as Primate from 1998 to 2004. In the worldwide church he chaired the Anglican Consultative Council for the past seven years, a significant role in leading Anglican’s throughout the world.

Archbishop David Moxon, the senior bishop of the New Zealand dioceses says Bishop Paterson’s leadership has been marked by a realism that has never lost perspective. “He’s a very rational person. Even-handed, and even thinking. He’s realistic, down to earth – but also careful and a very thorough planner. Bishop John is like a good captain, calmly scanning the horizon to see where things are headed in the long term.”

The service begins at 4pm and there will be presentations to Bishop John on the Cathedral forecourt following the service.

ENDS

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