Introducing Our New Māori Evangelist

By Fran Hokianga
Māori Evangelist

Ko Ūpokonui te Maunga
Ko Waikeri te roto
Ko Man­gonui te Moana
Ko Ruakara­mea te Waka
Ko Ngati Kahu te Iwi
Ko Te Paatu te Marae
Ko Ātirikona Bert raua ko Ani Karaka oku Mātua Tupuna
Ko Omokonui oku Tupuna Whenua
Ko Te Haahi Mihingare toku whakapono
Ko ahau Te Ātirikona o Muriwhenua
Ko Fran Hoki­anga toku ingoa

Tena koutou katoa

I was born in Auck­land in the 1960s and bap­tised in St James Anglican Church, Mangere Bridge. Glory to God for my parents, a loving Māori whānau who nur­tured their eight chil­dren in the Anglican faith growing up in the Mangere Central Com­munity. Our home would be filled with Whānau trav­el­ling from the Far North, espe­cially our Kau­matua and Kuia (elders), who kept us con­nec­ted to whakapapa, whanaungatanga, karakia, waiata, storytelling and laughter. My child­hood memor­ies and upbring­ing were the build­ing blocks in knowing God, having a per­sonal rela­tion­ship with Christ, and being led by the Holy Spirit. My parents were filled with the Holy Spirit, pro­claim­ing the Gospel and plant­ing churches through­out the Hauraki Dis­trict in Thames, Parawai, Manaia, Kennedy’s Bay, Coro­man­del, Kere­pehi, and in Paeroa. God’s call on my father’s life has cer­tainly influ­enced my min­istry today.

My edu­ca­tion began at Mangere Central Primary School, then at Ara­hanga Inter­me­di­ate and com­plet­ing my sec­ond­ary edu­ca­tion at Mangere College. After leaving college, I spent one year at Manukau Tech­nical Insti­tute, gradu­at­ing with an Office Admin­is­tra­tion, Book­keep­ing and Account­ing cer­ti­fic­ate. These skills would aid me through­out the years in sec­ret­arial and office admin­is­tra­tion employ­ment. Today, I am a second-year student study­ing a Bach­elor of Human­it­ies /​ Major­ing in Te Haahi Mihingare with Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiārangi.

In Decem­ber 1986, I married my husband Rapiata Hoki­anga. We both love and serve the Lord. We have five adult chil­dren, a daugh­ter, a son-law, and three mokopuna. Our chil­dren have been nur­tured into the Anglican faith, and their part­ners and chil­dren have a per­sonal rela­tion­ship with Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord called us to the Far North, and in 2012 we relo­cated from Auck­land to Kaitaia. Rapiata and I are ordained Priests and are licenced to Te Piho­patanga o Te Tai Tokerau serving in the Par­engar­enga, Ahipara, Peria Pastorate.

Through­out 2022, the min­istry and mission in the Par­engar­enga, Ahipara Peria Pas­tor­ate sig­ni­fic­antly increased, and as Priest in charge, I felt the need to be more present serving in the Pas­tor­ate. By Septem­ber, I for­war­ded my written resig­na­tion as a tutor for Oron­gonui Min­istry and Edu­ca­tion at the Amor­angi Train­ing Centre in Kamo. During this time, I applied for two pos­i­tions with an organ­iz­a­tion within the Kaitaia area, and in October, my applic­a­tions were unsuc­cess­ful. At that point, I sat quietly and prayed, “Lord God, I believe you have some­thing greater in mind for my life.”

From the 25 – 28 October, I atten­ded the General Synod in Nelson. While we were making our way to the Synod, the Ven­er­able Arch­deacon Lyndon Drake approached me and spoke about a full-time min­istry role with NZCMS and recom­men­ded that I apply for the pos­i­tion. I believe this oppor­tun­ity and pos­i­tion is God appointed.

Cur­rently, the Pas­tor­ates Min­istry team con­sists of nine Priests. Two are semire­tired, one is a full-time care­giver, and five are employed in full-time or part-time pos­i­tions. We cur­rently serve 11 Māori Anglican Churches and five Marae through­out the Pas­tor­ate. The mission to pro­claim the Gospel and to admin­is­ter pas­toral care extends to the tribes of Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, NgaiTakoto, Ngati Kahu and our part­ners at the St Saviours Parish Church in Kaitaia.

I am abso­lutely ecstatic and greatly blessed to be appoin­ted as Māori Evan­gel­ist in the Par­engar­enga, Ahipara, Peria in Te Piho­patanga o Te Tai Tokerau area.

The appoint­ment will be:

• To advance the pro­clam­a­tion of the Gospel and develop mis­sional con­nec­tion and dis­cip­ling to 40+ Marae and six Māori Anglican Churches within Par­engar­enga, Ahipara, Peria Pas­tor­ate in Te Piho­patanga o Te Tai Tokerau
• To estab­lish sus­tain­able rela­tion­ships to explore Karakia Rātapu being broad­cast on Te Hiku Media platforms
• To be respons­ible for effect­ive plan­ning, del­eg­at­ing, coordin­at­ing, resourcing, organ­iz­ing and decision-making for des­ig­nated service plants
• To provide oppor­tun­it­ies for those seeking to become Chris­ti­ans to be wel­comed and have their ques­tions answered
• Work col­lab­or­at­ively with local Chris­tian based Church groups and the St John Chaplaincy
• Work effect­ively with the Youth Leader in Mokopuna and Ranga­tahi ministries
• To work closely with other Evangelists

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

The Ven­er­able Arch­deacon Fran Hokianga