✞ History of Te Upoko
"Kia mahara ki ngā rā onamata; whakaarohia ngā tau o ngā whakatupuranga e maha. Ui atu ki tōu pāpā, ā, māna e whakaatu ki a koe; ki ōu kaumātua, ā, mā rātou e kōrero ki a koe".
"Remember the days of old, consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you; your elders, and they will tell you".
Deuteronomy 32:7
Te Upoko was formalised after the 1992 Constitution that resulted in the three tikanga structure of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. However, the member churches of Te Upoko have a very long history. For example, Rangiātea Church at Ōtaki was built between 1844 and 1851 under the guidance of Te Rauparaha and missionary Octavius Hadfield. It was the oldest Māori Anglican church in New Zealand until it was burnt down in 1995 by an arsonist. A replica of the church building was opened in 2003, which houses some of the treasures salvaged from the original church building.
Soon, we will update this page with stories, images, videos and other memorabilia of our unique history...
Do you want to find out more about our history?
Come along to one of our church services or contact one of our minita.
Nau mai, haere mai...
