Matthias Clement Tze-Wo Der (; born 14 August 1964)
is an
Anglican bishop
The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. "Ministry" commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the ''threefold order'' of bishops, priests and deacons. More accurately, Anglica ...
from Hong Kong. He has served as
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
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
since January 2021. Prior to his episcopacy, he served as the
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
of
St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong from July 2012 to December 2020.
Early life
Der was born in Hong Kong and moved to Taiwan from 1966 to 1976, where his father served as priest in the Church of Good Shepherd in the
Episcopal Church.
[New Hong Kong Coadjutor Has Canadian & American Ties]
/ref>[ He described himself as a person "who could not speak clearly until the age of four, who struggled through school for most of his early schooling and who didn't learn the ABCs till the age of 12".][ In 1981, Der attended ]Seabury Hall
Seabury Hall is a private college preparatory school in Makawao (on the island of Maui). It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1964 and serves middle and high school students. Seabury Hall has been designated as a U.S. ...
, a boarding school in Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.[ He attended the ]University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1984 and graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and obtained a Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
degree from Wycliffe College, Toronto
Wycliffe College () is an evangelical graduate school of theology at the University of Toronto. Founded in 1877 as an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition, Wycliffe College today attracts students from many Christian denominations from ...
in 1990.[
]
Ministry
In 1990, he was ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
to the diaconate
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 ...
in the Diocese of Toronto of the Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church co ...
, and to the priesthood in 1991.[ After serving his ]curacy
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
, Der served as incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
of St Christopher's Anglican Church in Greater Toronto
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater ...
for twenty years, helping St Christopher expand to a parish worshipping from two sites in North York
North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a popu ...
and Richmond Hill.[ He was appointed an ]Honorary Canon
A canon (from the Latin , itself derived from the Greek , , "relating to a rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule.
Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, i ...
of St James’ Cathedral, Toronto in 2007.[
Der was appointed Dean of ]St John's Cathedral :''This list is for St. John the Evangelist Cathedrals. For St. John the Baptist Cathedrals, see St. John the Baptist Cathedral (disambiguation)''
St. John's Cathedral, St. John Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. John, or other variations on the name ...
of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (abbreviated SKH), also known as the Hong Kong Anglican Church (Episcopal), is the Anglican church in Hong Kong and Macao. It is the 38th Province of the Anglican Communion. It is also one of the major denominations ...
(Hong Kong Anglican Church) in July 2012 and installed on 13 October 2012.[
He is also a delegate to the ]General Synod of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui The General Synod of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui () exercises the metropolitical authority of the Anglican Province of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. It is a tricameral synod which governs the Province and has the final authority in all matters affecting ...
and serves as the Director of Supervisors for student placement at SKH Ming Hua Theological College and a member of the Board of Governors of Matilda International Hospital.
Der was elected as the Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Hong Kong Island
The Diocese of Hong Kong Island is one of the three dioceses under the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, a province of the Anglican Communion. Its territory covers Hong Kong Island and the outlying islands. The cathedral of the diocese, St. John's Cat ...
in November 2019. He was consecrated to the episcopate on 3 October 2020 at St John's Cathedral (Hong Kong), after postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong, which also broke decades-long tradition with the absence of co-consecrators from other Anglican Communion provinces.Hong Kong bishop consecrated
/ref> He was enthroned as the Bishop of Hong Kong Island
The Diocese of Hong Kong Island is one of the three dioceses under the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, a province of the Anglican Communion. Its territory covers Hong Kong Island and the outlying islands. The cathedral of the diocese, St. John's Ca ...
on 2 January 2021, succeeding Paul Kwong
Paul Kwong CStJ (; born 28 February 1950) is a retired Anglican bishop from Hong Kong, who served as Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, Bishop of Hong Kong Island, and Bishop of Macau from 2007 to 2021. Kwong is also the current ...
[Hong Kong: Former Toronto priest elected bishop]
/ref>
Family
Matthias Der is son of Canon Edmund B. Der (謝博文法政牧師), an Anglian priest and canon who served in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and USA.[Installation of The Very Reverend Canon Matthias Der]
/ref> His younger brother Canon Philip Der (謝子樂法政牧師) is also an Anglican priest and canon, who succeeded Matthias as incumbent at St Christopher.[ Matthias is married, and the couple have two daughters.][The Very Reverend Matthias Tze Wo Der ](_blank)
/ref>
References
External links
The Very Reverend Matthias Tze Wo Der
Bishop Matthias's Consecration Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Der, Matthias Clement Tze-Wo
Living people
1964 births
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui clergy
Deans of Hong Kong
21st-century Anglican bishops in China
Anglican bishops in Hong Kong
Anglican bishops of Hong Kong Island