Churches stand together at Waitangi
Shared from
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
First published 1 March 2026
The Moderator, Right Rev. Peter Dunn, represented the Presbyterian Church at Waitangi for the 186th anniversary of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, alongside Rev. Tamiana Thrupp, Moderator of Te Aka Puahou. Both spoke at the dawn service, which about 1,000 people attended, and at the ecumenical service later in the day.
Bishop Stephen Lowe of Auckland gave the reflection, the first Catholic to do so at Waitangi, and recalled Bishop Pompallier’s part in the assurance of religious freedom given at the signing of the Treaty. Church leaders spoke afterwards of the joy of standing together as Christians before the nation.