Donald Steven Tamihere (born 1972) is Te Pīhopa o Te Tairāwhiti (

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of Te Tairāwhiti). He was ordained as a bishop in March 2017, succeeding Archbishop Brown Turei. Donald is also

Bishop of Aotearoa A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Head of the Maori Anglican Church & Primate &

Archbishop of New Zealand Primate of New Zealand is a title held by a bishop who leads the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Since 2006, the Senior Bishop of each '' tikanga'' (Māori, Pākehā, Pasefika) serves automatically as one of three co-equal ...

as of April 2018 Before his election as bishop, Tamihere was Tumuaki (Dean) of Te Rau College and Ministry Educator for

Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tairāwhiti , image = , image_size = , image_alt = , caption = , coat = Coat_of_arms_of_Te_Hui_Amorangi_ki_Te_Tai_Rāwhiti.png , coat_size = , coat_alt = , coat_caption = Ar ...

Early life

Tamihere was born in Gisborne in 1972 to Don and Catherine Tamihere. His early childhood was spent in Te Puia Springs and Ruatoria, and his teenage years in Tokomaru Bay. At age 12 Tamihere was

confirmed In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

by Bishop Peter Atkins at Mangahanea Marae in Ruatoria. He began teaching Bible in Schools at the age of 15. At 19 Tamihere left Tokomaru Bay to study at the Apostolic Church's Te Nikau Bible College in Paraparaumu. In 2001 he graduated from Saint John's Theological College with a master's degree in

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Ordained ministry

Tamihere was

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

ed at St Mary's Church, Tikitiki, on 23 March 2003, and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

ed at Holy Trinity Gisborne on 5 December 2004. In October 2016, following Brown Turei's resignation as Bishop of Te Tairāwhiti, Tamihere was nominated to succeed Turei at an electoral college held in Toko Toro Tapu church in Manutuke. Tamihere was ordained and installed as second bishop of Tairāwhiti at Porourangi Marae in Ruatoria on 11 March 2017.

Personal life

Tamihere met Temukisa Saifiti while studying at Te Nikau Bible College and they married in 1994. The marriage was officiated by Archdeacon Hone Kaa. Tamihere has three children, Tiana, Danielle and Ethan. Tamihere's two younger brothers are also involved in the Anglican church, the Ven Michael Tamihere succeeded his brother as Dean of Te Rau College, while Andrew is the Diocesan Registrar for Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tairāwhiti.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamihere, Donald 21st-century Anglican bishops in New Zealand New Zealand Māori people Primates of New Zealand Anglican bishops of Aotearoa 1972 births Living people 21st-century Anglican archbishops in New Zealand Anglican bishops of Te Tairāwhiti