Friends and supporters from hāhi, whānau and iwi turned out for a full day of celebrations as Bishop Susan Wallace was ordained last Saturday, beginning with a morning mihi whakatau at Christchurch's Transitional Cathedral, then on to her ordination and installation as head of the Māori Anglican Church of the South Island. Later the manuhiri continued from the Cathedral to Te Pā Mihinare where they were welcomed on to the Pā before the day concluded with a celebratory hakari.

Bishop Susan (Huhana) Hinemoa Wallace comes to her role as Bishop as a daughter in the Anglican faith with deep Mihinare whakapapa from Te Tai Tokerau in the north and links to Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Whātua, and Te Roroa.

In the South she stands on the ground where, like the Archbishop of Canterbury, she made her own teenage choice to follow Jesus, and where she holds connections to Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Apa, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe and Kai Tahu.

Leading up to her ordination last Saturday, Bishop Susan Wallace retreated to pray and reflect with an international cohort of Anglican women who have formed the vanguard of female leadership in their churches.

"It was wonderful to be with [Archbishop] Kay Goldsworthy who was among the first women ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia, with Archbishop Marinez (Bassotto) who was the first female Anglican Primate of Brazil and Bishop Waitohiariki Quayle who was the first homegrown female priest ordained bishop in any tikanga of this Church." said Susan.

Drawing on their collective wisdom, Susan took inspiration from Queen Esther's biblical call to leadership, as a woman who had stepped up to protect and guide her people in a time of persecution.

"I am inspired by Esther as a great example of a woman who was called to lead "For a time such as this" (Esther 4: 14). I see her as someone who had to step up – and who was invited to step up – into a space that was quite challenging."

Susan also had the support of Saturday's service organiser the Ven Ruihana Paenga, Archdeacon for Leadership for Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, and renowned Māori theologian Dr Jenny Te Paa, who was delighted to see a second wahine Māori take up a bishop's role.

"I've known Susan since she was a small child, and so I know her constancy as a faithful presence in the church."

"She's articulate and vastly experienced in secular spaces: in Government service, in governance, iwi and women's organisations, and she has stepped very easily into leadership in the Church."

Before Susan's ordination service at 11am on Saturday, a mihi whakatau welcomed Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, the mother of Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuīni Nga wai hono i te po.

"I am here as patron of the Māori Women's Welfare League and because I have met Susan on many occasions." she said.

"I strongly support the leadership of Māori women in all aspects of our life, and the church represents a significant part of Māori life and culture." 

Rangatahi from the different spheres had a strong place in the installation service, with young women and men from Te Aute and Hukarere Colleges chosen to lead prayers, waiata himene, and the youngest daughter of Archbishop Marinez Bassotto who was invited to share the English translation of her mother's sermon.

"Susan is the right person, in the right moment in the right place." said Archbishop Marinez. "Not just for the Māori church in the South Island, but for the whole Anglican Communion – where it's so important to have indigenous women as bishops."

Archbishop Don Tamihere has worked alongside Bishop Susan as she has brought her governance skills and strategic thinking to Te Hāhi Mihinare and the three Tikanga Church over more than a decade.

"She is a true servant and comes from a place of aroha," said Archbishop Don.

"As a leader she's brilliant, and in decision-making she's both consultative and definitive. As she loves her family and her iwi, she loves the church. She's going to strengthen the way we work as an organisation, but also how we work as a whānau."

Whānau played a visible part in Susan's big day, with mokopuna pēpi warming laps in the Cathedral sanctuary and many links made with her father the late Bishop Richard Wallace, naming him as both her encourager and guide as well as her predecessor as Bishop of Te Hui Amorangi ki te Waipounamu.

Susan's ordination brought surprises for her as different signs brought the day together. One was the renewal of the Pānapa links through her mother Archdeacon Mere Wallace's Kaipara-linked whānau, whose tipuna Bishop Wiremu Nētana Pānapa was ordained in 1951 as the second Māori Bishop of Aotearoa.

On Saturday, Susan wore her great grand uncle's 75 year-old mitre and cope as she placed her hand on the pounamu mauri stone and pledged her commitment to spiritual leadership of Te Hāhi Mihinare in Te Waipounamu.

Aotearoa's first Māori female bishop, the Rt Rev Waitohiariki Quayle welcomed Susan's ascent to the house of bishops.

"I have been a quiet one, but she will be a younger voice and she will be heard – which I think needs to happen." said Bishop Waitohiariki.

"She's been in the church a long time, and she's been instrumental as a lay person already, as chair of Te Kotahitanga and other committees...she's brought a lot."

Archbishop Justin Duckworth has been impressed with newly-installed Bishop Susan's contributions to the wider Church too.

"She's passionate, calm, confident, and most importantly she has a lived-out, active faith in Jesus."

"Yes, she's a woman and that's brilliant, but Susan is also a bishop because she's been called by God and called by her people, and she's uber competent and uber gifted." 

For Archbishop Sione Ulu'ilakepa, this week's ordination affirms his own hopes for women's episcopal ministry rising up across the Pacific.

"Susan is a person with mana and with wisdom. She's humble and very straightforward and that draws me to her leadership."

"She is a great testimony to the church and to Polynesia also."

Archbishop Sione says a new sister bishop from his oceania diocese may not be so far way.

"I'm praying that we will have our first woman ordained bishop in Polynesia soon. We are now setting up a discernment team to identify potential female candidates for episcopal ministry."

Bishop Susan Hinemoa Wallace will lead Te Hui Amorangi ki te Waipounamu based out of Te Pā Mihinare in Christchurch.

As Bishop for Te Hāhi Mihinare across the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand she will support Māori Anglican churches serving in communities across Whakatū (Nelson) Te Arapai, Motueka, Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Te Toko Toru Tapu at Arowhenua, Ōtepoti (Dunedin) and Murihiku (Invercargill).