All’s well that ends well
A precarious beginning to the ordaining of Nelson’s new bishop has a jubilant ending __________________________________________________________________

The Diocese of Nelson is today celebrating its new Bishop, Richard Ellena – ordained in Nelson’s Christ Church Cathedral yesterday before a crowd of hundreds of clergy, civic dignitaries and well-wishers.

But just 24 hours before that there was real doubt that someone considered rather pivotal to the proceedings – the Bishop-elect himself – would show up.

Not because he had cold feet, but because he couldn’t get to his feet.

Archdeacon Richard Ellena was, in fact, flat on his back in Christchurch Hospital, battling a serious case of blood poisoning.

The trouble started when Richard and his wife Hilary were lugging furniture into their new Nelson home. He’d scraped his knee doing so – but, like a good Kiwi bloke, he thought nothing more of it.

Richard then headed south for his ordination retreat, which was to be conducted by the Bishop of Christchurch, Dr David Coles.

Except on his retreat Richard began to feel unwell. Quite unwell. So unwell, in fact, that last Tuesday he had to be admitted to Christchurch Hospital suffering from a rocketing temperature, and raging infection.

He was still in the Christchurch hospital on the Friday, the eve of his ordination, while the other bishops, who were meeting in Nelson prior to the ordination, considered what to do.

They had no doubt about their ultimate benchmark: the wellbeing of their brother bishop-to-be. With this in mind they seriously contemplated postponing the ordination (for which many were already arriving by air); ordaining Richard at his hospital bedside; or truncating the ordination service from the normal two hours to around 20 minutes.

In the end, Richard flew from Christchurch to Nelson on the Friday afternoon – and was met by doctors and his wife Hilary, in whose hands the decision about his fitness to proceed was laid.

Their verdict? That he was sufficiently recovered to press ahead – provided he stayed in a wheelchair and kept his infected leg elevated at all times.

And so the service proceeded – and regardless of its touch’n go basis, it was a particularly cheerful and joyful celebration.

The Rev Mike Hawke, Vicar of St Christopher’s Avonhead, and Archdeacon of Selwyn-Tawera in the Diocese of Christchurch, preached the sermon on the theme: “This is the day the Lord has made.”

There were contributions from each of the three Tikanga of this church – Maori, Polynesian and Pakeha.

The three Archbishops of the Province, The Most Revs Brown Turei, David Moxon and Jabez Bryce, concelebrated the eucharist – and the music, classical, choral and contemporary, was particularly impressive. That’s hardly surprising, as Bishop Richard is a highly accomplished composer, musical producer and multi-instrumentalist.

In fact, the recessional hymn was his own composition: “May the light of Jesus shine through all the world” – which, for the final chorus, also featured the interwoven New Zealand anthem, “God Defend New Zealand.”

Archbishop David Moxon reminded those gathered of the rich precedents for Richard’s seated ordination. On the Day of Pentecost, he said, the apostles (the predecessors of the bishops) had gathered in the upper room – and were seated when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Archbishop Moxon also reminded folk that history shows that those called to decisive ministries had often weathered physical or spiritual affliction before they were released into their calling: Jacob’s night-long wrestling with the angel being a case in point.

And Bishop Richard Ellena, the new and 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Nelson?

His consecration service over, the now elated and duly consecrated bishop headed to Nelson Hospital – where he’s expected to make a complete recovery from his affliction within a few days.

Lloyd Ashton
Media Officer to the Anglican Church
in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

From the Anglican Diocese of Nelson website:
www.nelsonanglican.org.nz/

Richard Ellena, the Archdeacon of Blenheim, has been elected as the next Anglican Bishop of Nelson.

Richard, who is 55, has been Bishop Derek Eaton’s Vicar General, or deputy, since 2002 – and he has pledged to continue to “hold high the flag of evangelical orthodoxy” during his term as the Diocese of Nelson’s 10th Bishop.

“Nelson,” he says, “is unique. It is, very strongly, an evangelical diocese. We believe in Biblical orthodoxy. I want to honour and affirm that. I also want to do that in a way that doesn’t isolate us. I want to be in warm communion with the other Anglican Bishops of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia – while saying, at the same time: ‘This is the truth that we hold to in this diocese.’ Bishop Derek has done this with so much grace, and I hope I can do the same.”

One of the defining characteristics of Derek Eaton’s episcopate has been the way he and his wife Alice have worked as a team in ministry – and it’s clear that this will continue with Richard and Hilary, his wife of 34 years.

Richard Ellena was born and grew up in Christchurch. His father, Vic Ellena, was the Bryndwr butcher until he became Head of Music at Burnside High School. He was also the organist and choirmaster at St Barnabas’, Fendalton, under Canon Bob Lowe.

Those musical genes flow through Richard Ellena. He has a degree in music, majoring in composition, is a multi-instrumentalist and has played in orchestras, bands and brass bands, and he has composed for, and conducted and sung in choirs. His wife shares that musical gift.

On leaving Burnside High, Richard Ellena worked briefly for the Met Service before training as a teacher and studying at the University of Canterbury. He then taught music in high schools for 10 years – including two at St Bede’s in Christchurch, and eight at Rangiora High – before beginning training for the Anglican ministry at St John’s College in Auckland in 1983.

Richard Ellena was ordained an Anglican priest in 1985, served his curacy at Highfield-Marchwiel (in Timaru) and was vicar of Kensington-Otipua, in south Timaru, from 1986 to 1991. He had learned Maori at St John’s and, at the invitation of Ngai Tahu, he taught te reo at Aoraki Polytech in Timaru.

In 1991, he was asked by Bishop Derek Eaton – who’d also grown up in Christchurch, and, as a teenager, had been a babysitter for young Richard Ellena – to move to the Nelson Diocese, to begin ministry at the Church of the Nativity in Blenheim. He is now the longest-serving minister in Marlborough.

Richard and Hilary Ellena have a particular love of worship, and music in worship, and during their time at the Church of the Nativity, the Sunday congregation there has grown from around 150 to 450.

Richard and Hilary Ellena have also played an active part in the wider Marlborough community – for example, he was music director of a two-week production of Les Miserables in the mid 90s, and Hilary sang one of the lead roles.

They have played in a number of other shows since then, and Richard wrote and arranged the music for The Journey, a musical composed for the new millennium to celebrate the history of Marlborough.

Richard and Hilary have two children, and Richard is expected to be consecrated as the 10th Bishop of Nelson in February next year – around the time his predecessor, Derek Eaton, with his wife Alice, resume missionary service in North Africa.