On Sunday 30 April a large group of parishioners, whanau, Christians from other churches joined Bishop Steven in a joyful occasion to welcome Rev'd Michael and Rev'd Mary-Jo Holdaway to Dunedin.

Look back at a live stream of the service here.

A number of people travelled from Canterbury where Michael and Mary Jo co-ministered in the Methven Anglican Parish, and others gave greetings from local Presbyterian and Catholic faith communities. Representatives from St Matthew's Parish in Dunedin recalled Michael from his student days in Dunedin (Michael and Mary-Jo met here when training to be dentists at Otago University). Dunedin based family of the Holdaways were especially pleased to welcome them into town. 

Focusing on the Gospel reading (John 10: 1-10) Bishop Steve talked about the appropriateness of having John's words about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Jesus as Shepherd contrasts with bad shepherds in the gospel (and other places like Ezekiel): Good Shepherds lead sheep into abundant life. 

For Michael and Mary-Jo, their roles will be to lead... but they (and us) need to be able to listen to hear what God is saying to us. Preaching (and hearing) the scriptures, breaking bread and drinking wine, meeting together for fellowship... these are all ways that God continues to speak to us and call us into ministry. 

Bishop Steve asked them - and us - not to be discouraged: sheep do come and go, it's never a one-off, we are always encouraged to keep coming back to worship for comfort, renewal, change... and then out to mission and ministry. The congregation were reminded that we have never been promised an easy life, but Psalm 23 reminds us that God will never leave us - we need to keep coming back in through the door to connect again. 

After prayers, the giving of symbolic gifts of ministry, and Michael being installed into his chair, Eucharist celebrated what binds us together... and the large congregation enjoyed some fellowship and kai in the church lounge.