Representatives from throughout the Diocese of Auckland gathered at Holy Trinity Cathedral on November 6-7 to elect the 11th Bishop of Auckland.

Known as an Electoral College, the gathering met to consider five names. The successful nominee must achieve a majority of the votes of both laity and clergy.

The gathering at Holy Trinity Cathedral was only the first part of a three-stage process during which the name of the nominee remains confidential.

Part 1: The Auckland Electoral College agrees on a candidate’s name to put forward as a nominee for the 11th Bishop of Auckland.

Part 2: The nominee’s name is forwarded to all of the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia for their approval.

Part 3: If the Bishops approve then the nominee’s name will be forwarded to members of the Anglican General Synod / te Hinota Whanui in New Zealand and Polynesia for their sanction by a postal ballot.

The Electoral College was chaired by the Rt Rev Tom Brown, Bishop of Wellington.

The current Bishop of Auckland, the Rt Rev John Paterson, will retire in March next year. He has held the position since 1995.

The Diocese of Auckland covers the area from North Cape down to the Waikato River, across the Hauraki Plains and including the Coromandel Peninsula.

All media inquiries to the Rev Jayson Rhodes, 021 661319