St John’s Theological College in Auckland hosted a landmark gathering of Anglican Seminary Deans from East Asia and Oceania to explore ways to reshape theological education through an indigenous lens.
From 2–4 March 2025, the Anglican Seminary Deans Network convened at St John’s Theological College in Auckland for its bi-annual in-person meeting. The gathering brought together college principals, deans, and directors of theological education from across East Asia and Oceania—including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Polynesia—alongside representatives from the Episcopal Church, USPG, and the Anglican Communion Office.
The setting of St John’s College provided an inspiring model of what this vision could look like. With Māorileadership at the helm, a significant proportion of indigenous students, and a culture deeply embedded in Māori identity, the college embodies many of the principles discussed throughout the meeting. Participants were welcomed with a ‘Powhiri’ (a traditional Māori welcome) and worship was conducted in both Māori and English.
Hosted by The Reverend Dr Hirini Kaa, the Principal of St John’s College, the meeting was centred on the theme ‘Indigenising Anglican Theological Education’. Participants explored how theological curricula, pedagogy and institutional life could be refashioned to allow the outlook and culture of indigenous peoples across the Anglican Communion to shape theological education.
During the meeting, Dr Hirini urged participants to theologise from their specific locations rather than relying on abstract frameworks. A deep connection to place and indigenous identity, he argued, was essential for the renewal of the Church.
The delegates also discussed how theological institutions must create exploratory spaces and not implement a uniform approach to indigenisation. This is particularly important in Papua New Guinea where over 800 languages are spoken, or Australia, where there is a vast number of Aboriginal tribal groups, languages, and cultural traditions.
Speaking about the meeting, Reverend Canon Stephen Spencer, from the Anglican Communion Office said: ‘It has been a joy to support this meeting of Anglican Seminarian Deans and discuss the indigenisation of theological education. A recurring theme of our meeting was the need for theological colleges to disrupt colonial structures and attitudes that persist in Anglican education. Indigenisation is not just about content, but also about ensuring that indigenous staff and students shape the life of the institution. Colleges must especially acknowledge the indigenous peoples on whose land they are situated and work to redress past injustices.’
During the itinerary, participants visited significant Māori historical sites in Auckland. And learned how Māori communities embraced Christianity even before the arrival of European settlers in the 1840s, only to later experience displacement, marginalisation, and the loss of their land. In years, there have been efforts to recover lands and reaffirm Māori culture as a central pillar of Aotearoa New Zealand’s identity.
The Manukura (Principal), the Dr Hirini Kaa, led a pilgrimage to several locations in Auckland to share significant moments in the history, especially the relations between Māori peoples and settler colonisers. Emeritus Professor Jenny Te Paa-Daniel spoke on the attributes needed in staff and students for transformative theological education, including having an imagination that sees beyond the way things are in the present, being able to act on that, de-clericalization and taking contextualisation seriously.
Dr Peniel Rajkumar of United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) built on this by speaking of the way to get away from colonial ways of thinking and mindsets. He quoted Bhambra’s contrast between “helicopter theology” that comes down from outside with a lot of noise and dust and a “bullock cart” theology that is always in touch with the ground and uses the friction for the cart to move forward. He proposed two metaphors for indigenising theological education, of preparing a feast and reweaving a theological mat. There needs to be recognition and repair of indigenous knowledge, not just tokenism or multi-cultural strategies.
The gathering heard about the very successful launch of a new diploma called Te Takawai (Explore the Sacred), taught from the perspective of a Māori worldview and with the possibility of submitting assessments written in Māori. It is being taught in five locations and has more than 80 enrolments. It was noted how it was important to reference local and indigenous sources in required reading. This is an innovative and significant programme which deserves to be known across the Anglican Communion.
The gathering discussed appropriate forms of assessment, such as moving from written to oral forms, and one of the actions is to set up a share-point where examples of practical, reflective and creative tasks can be shared more widely. It also heard from Rev Odette Pun on how the use of DEEPL has provided Cantonese-speaking students with simultaneous translation of English lectures at Ming Hua College in Hong Kong. She encouraged participants to contribute correct information to the large language models and concerns were expressed about the availability and the sovereignty of indigenous knowledges in the application of AI.
Dr Gloria Mapangdol reminded those present that to actively engage in the disruption of oppressive and patriarchal practices involves recognizing and respecting indigenous epistemologies and engaging with these as central rather than peripheral to the curriculum. It involves collaboration with the wider indigenous community and other marginalized communities, acknowledging the intersectionality of colonialism, racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of oppression. True decolonization requires institutional transformation at all levels and a constant self-reflection and commitment to unlearning. The importance of incorporating appropriate symbols of indigenous culture in the life of the seminary or theological college was stressed in the discussion that followed.
The meeting concluded with a reflection on the power of symbols. Local art, dress, textiles, and music can play a transformative role in theological institutions, shaping how students and staff see themselves and their mission. Such symbols, when embedded in worship and daily life, help to reimagine the Church’s future—one that is deeply rooted in indigenous wisdom and cultural expression.
As the Anglican Seminary Deans return to their respective institutions, the call to reshape theological education through an indigenous lens will remain at the forefront—guiding them as they work to shape the future of the Church across the Communion.
Find out more about St John’s Theological College here
Updated on 04.04.25