Te Pīhopatanga o Te Waipounamu


Te Pīhopatanga o Te Waipounamu is an episcopal polity of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Te Pīhopatanga encompasses the South Island of New Zealand in its entirety and also Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. According to the 2001 census there are approximately 15,000 Māori Anglicans within this area. Te Waipounamu is one of five pīhopatanga that comprise Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, the Māori Anglican Church in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Ministry

There are 7 Ministry Units in Te Waiponamu.
Archdeaconry of Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka
Archdeaconry of Whakatu
Archdeaconry of Motueka
Archdeaconry of Te Tai Poutini
Archdeaconry of Otautahi
Archdeaconry of Otepoti
Archdeaconry of Murihiku
Te Pīhopatanga is governed by the Hui Amorangi, a representative synod that meets annually. The Executive Committee meets four times a year, as well as the meeting of the Hui Amorangi Trust Board.
Te Pīhopatanga comes under the episcopal leadership of te Pīhopa o Te Waipounamu, which post is currently vacant.

Bishop

The first Pīhopa o Te Waipounmau was John Gray, who was consecrated bishop in 1996 and died in November 2015.
Richard Wallace was nominated at the Electoral College of 23–25 September 2016 to be the second Pīhopa o Te Waipounamu. He was duly consecrated on 21 January 2017 and installed that month.