To Clergy and Diocesan Whanau
Kia ora koutou
This is not an easy message to send.
I believe that the time has come for me to step down as Bishop of Dunedin. I have tended my resignation to the Primates, and expect to finish in May 2024 – an exact date is to be decided.
I had a very strong sense of call to this post, and while I sense it is the right time to finish, it is slightly disconcerting not knowing what the future holds. I do not currently have a post to go to and will spend some time near our family in the first instance.
I have been powerfully changed by my time here as Bishop, and particularly through the love and friendship of so many people. It has been such a privilege to serve here. I remain convinced that as we seek to proclaim Jesus Christ in words and actions we will continue to see lives and communities changed.
The Archbishops will in time appoint a Commissary, and the Ven Jan Clark and Ven Anne van Gend are prepared to continue as Vicar-General and Deputy Vicar-General.
I would like to offer my deepest thanks to you for being prepared to invite, welcome and love Lorraine and I as we moved here in 2017. We have felt very loved, and want you to know how much this has meant to us.
With my love and prayers
+Steven
The Right Reverend Steven Benford
Bishop of Dunedin