2010 marked 25 years of Māori community worship in Sydney. In 1979, Archdeacon Kingi Ihaka celebrated Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Ranwick. There he was asked of the possibility of having a Māori priest visit Sydney occasionally, in order for Māori to be ministered to in their own cultural context. Approval was requested, and in June of that year, permission was granted by the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.
From 1984 to 1987 Archdeacon Ihaka served as the first resident Māori minister in Sydney. He was to be a chaplain to all Māori in Sydney – not just to Anglicans. During his first few months, he studied the needs of the relatively young Māori community, many of whom had little contact with their language and culture. Ihaka set up and chaired an organisation for their religious, social and cultural needs called the Sydney Māori Arohanui Fellowship.
A collection of books, papers, photographs and other items belonging to Kingi Ihaka was donated to the library some time ago by his son Tom Ihaka and in that collection are publications called Ruia, documenting the general goings-on, fundraising, events and faith of the Sydney Māori Arohanui fellowship.
Find out more about the contemporary Sydney Māori Anglican Fellowship.
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