I am very pleased to hear that Archdeacon Andrew Starky, Vicar of Temuka and Te Ngawai, Archdeacon of South Canterbury, is going to be the next Vicar of St Michael's and All Angels here in Christchurch (as publicly announced yesterday). But my and others pleasure will be matched by the pain of South Canterbury Anglicans and Christians of many denominations losing a much loved and valued leader.
Until Friday I had thought (i.e. been led to believe) that the manner of appointing our next pakeha archbishop would be via the bishops making a nomination to the IDC Co-ordinating Group (sort of Standing Committee of the seven pakeha dioceses). On Friday I learned that our rules re the situation are not so affirming of that possibility (not least because the 'norm' is that changes occur at biennial meetings of the Inter Diocesan Conference - the next normal meeting would be July 2014). Yesterday Bishop Victoria's letter announcing Andrew's appointment mentioned a meeting of IDC on Saturday 23 March. Thus it would appear that a full meeting is going to take place - a slightly expensive exercise, but perhaps one or two other matters could be resolved when the meeting takes place.
Further on our cathedral. If the following article is correct (here) then the predicted costs for possible futures of our cathedral are:
Mayor Bob Parker's encasement of the ruins in glass: $45m
Four rebuild options being considered by the Diocese: $73.5m to $84.3m
Restoration of the cathedral: $95m to $109.2m
Finally, it is always good to see faithful ministries which continue in long service to God and God's people. But they come to an end. Taonga links to this article as Graham and Rose Langley retire after 23 years of ministry in their parish centred on Balclutha. I salute them. Graham and Rose together have been a beacon of gospel light in their diocese.
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