Church leader here to support parish in commemorations

Reverend Rose Luxford makes her first visit to Gisborne as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa-New Zealand. Her grandfather Andrew Hall was principal of Patutahi School. Picture by Paul Rickard

Newly appointed Presbyterian Church Moderator Rose Luxford is in Gisborne this weekend on her first “official” gig.

It is a big weekend for the  local Presbyterian  parish  with a remembrance and healing service at the Matawhero Presbyerian Church today to mark the 155th anniversary of Te Kooti’s attack, while a service in town tomorrow will commemorate 150 years of the Presbyterian Church in Gisborne.

Speakers at Matawhero will include parishioner Marie Burgess who is the great-granddaughter of Matawhero settlers Robert and Jane Atkins — the first couple to marry at Matawhero — and Stan Pardoe of Rongowhakaata, Te Kooti’s iwi.

Reverend Luxford was ordained and inducted at Iona Presbyterian Church, Blockhouse Bay in 1998 and served there for 12 years.

Since 2010 she has served as minister at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church — now St Paul’s Maheno-Otepopo — in Oamaru. She was elected moderator in September and will serve in the role for two years.

Reverend Luxford is the fifth woman leader of the Presbyterian Church, which she says is both daunting, humbling and an honour.

She has decided to devote three- quarters of her time to national duties and one quarter to Oamaru.

“I like to keep grounded in my own parish — it keeps you honest.”

The theme of her moderatorship is “authentic and hopeful in Christ”.

“I chose that to reflect my belief in how important it is for us to be true to who we are in our ministry contexts in order to flourish.

“Being authentic is also being realistic about the challenges and anxieties that we face.

“Yet undergirding all of this is the fact that we are people of resurrection hope.

“We are ‘in Christ’, the one who grounds us and gives us a sense of hope in our living.

“May we be guided by the Spirit in our decision making.”

• Reverend Luxford has a family connection with the district — her grandfather Andrew Hall was principal of Patutahi School.