Mothers’ Union is a participant in IAWN. Every few months members of the Anglican Communion’s International Anglican Women’s Network share a little about themselves and their role as network members.
This month it’s the turn of Archdeacon Carole Hughes IAWN’s Provincial Link for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
It is with delight that I introduce myself as a representative of the Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia on the IAWN. I am an Anglican Priest, who has recently taken up a role in the Episcopal team in the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand, as the full time Archdeacon of the central Auckland region.
I have been in this role for only 6 weeks and so far I am excited and positive about the many opportunities I have had to experience ministry and worship in different contexts across the city. My major focus is to support ministry development and to enable more effective ministry and mission in Auckland, as well as offer advice and pastoral support of those in licensed ministry. I have spent 13 years in parish ministry and I am keen to now support others in their local context. Resource sharing is one of my priorities, including encouraging others to do so.
My latest book, ‘A time in Lent’, is a collation of some Lenten Studies programmes, and the main intention of this publication is to encourage resource sharing. This initiative is with much thanks to the General Synod Centre for Anglican Women’s Studies, of which I am the Convenor. This Centre is a General Synod initiative set up to serve and to advance the interests and needs of the women of our Church, particularly those undertaking theological training. Our projects include mentoring programmes for newly ordained women, networking and regular newsletters and communication to women of our church, encouraging women to publish and share resources, and organising a hui (gathering) for ordained women across Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. It is a privilege to work with wonderful, inspirational women. What I value the most is our ability to laugh and cry with one another, to pray for and deeply value each other’s contribution, and to support and care for one another.
I think that the biggest challenge for women in our church is to continue to remind the wider church about our mission to respond to the poor, the alienated and all those who struggle. Often women are the ones who do the actual work in the midst of those in pain, and to tell and value their stories as part of the wider story is vital. There is also a need for good women role models in leadership, and we seem to be struggling in our church for women to be nurtured and elected into leadership positions. For example, New Zealand is known for having the first Diocesan woman bishop, but we still continue to only have one woman bishop two decades on. There is still work to be done in terms of attitudes toward women in leadership, as well as support and valuing our contribution.
For the past four years I have been a guest lecturer in liturgy at St John’s Theological College, and I am also part of the Bishop’s Ministry Advisory team, who interview and recommend candidates for ministry selection, as well as working on the Post Ordination Training facilitation team in the Diocese of Auckland. These roles provide opportunities for me to encourage, support and celebrate with women, as well as men, in all that they contribute to the church and wider society. It is also about realising dreams and responding to the call to love and nurture others.
May our journey together be full of hope and inspiration as we experience Christ amongst us in love, compassion and restoration.
Carole
Archdeacon Carole Hughes , Auckland Central Region, Anglican Diocese of Auckland, PO Box 37242, Parnell, Auckland 1151, New Zealand carole@auckanglican.org.nz