Brown Turei


William Brown Turei was the Archbishop, Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa/Bishop of Aotearoa and Primate/Te Pīhopa Mataamua of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. He shared the primacy with Philip Richardson, archbishop for the New Zealand dioceses, and Winston Halapua, Bishop of Polynesia.

Biography

Childhood and education

Turei was born in 1924 in Opotiki, to the Waititi whānau. He became a whāngai to the Turei whanau in Cape Runaway, on the East Cape. He was named after the Reverend Brown Turei, a Hāhi Mihinare priest on the east coast.
He spent his primary school years at Rangitukia and Cape Runaway and studied at Te Aute College for four years. He briefly attended College House, Christchurch, before enlisting with C Company of the 28 Maori Battalion to serve in World War II. After the war, he attended St John's College, Auckland and was ordained a priest in 1950.
On 15 October 2009, Turei was selected by Te Aute College to be a part of its 1st XV leaders group. The honour is given to former pupils over the age of 55 who have made a significant contribution to Māori society. Turei attended Te Aute College from 1939 to 1943.

Ordained ministry

Turei served the Anglican Church in parishes and Maori pastorates in Tauranga, Whangara, Te Puke, Whakatane, Manutuke, Christchurch and Waipatu. He was appointed Archdeacon of Tairāwhiti in 1982 and has had a long association with Hukarere Girls College, becoming chaplain there in 1984. He was also chaplain of the Napier Prison for four years.
In 1992 Turei was elected as Te Pīhopa o Te Tai Rāwhiti, following the reforms of the Anglican Church in 1990; he was duly consecrated a bishop on 7 March 1992. In February 2005 he was elected to succeed Whakahuihui Vercoe as Pihopa o Aotearoa, at a hui at Turangawaewae; the requisite confirmation of that election was announced on 6 March 2005; at the Church's 57th General Synod, it was decided that the senior bishop of each of the three tikanga would become co-equal and joint Primate—Archbishop of the whole church, but that Turei would be appointed de jure sole Archbishop. On 11 May he was installed alongside David Moxon and Jabez Leslie Bryce; the necessary changes made, Moxon and Bryce became his lawful co-equals in 2008.
In the 2016 New Year Honours, Turei was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Anglican Church.
In August 2016, Turei announced that he would retire as te Pihopa o Tairāwhiti by the year's end, and as Maori archbishop in March 2017. However, he died before that date, on 9 January 2017, in Gisborne. He was 92 years old.

Family

Turei was married to Mihi and they had three children.