Orthodoxy in New Zealand

In 1890, several Orthodox Syrian families emigrated from Australia to New Zealand and settled in Dunedin at the southern tip of the South Island . Subsequently, due to the fact that the area seemed cold to the settlers, many of them moved to Auckland . By that time, about 15 Orthodox families remained in Dunedin, mainly from Syria and Lebanon. Initially, services were held in Anglican temples. Then, some parishes built their own churches. In 1911, the first Orthodox church in New Zealand and Australia was consecrated in Dunedin ^[2] .

Until the mid -1950s, the vast majority of parishes belonged to the Patriarchate of Antioch. Then began the active growth of the Russian and Greek diasporas. The first liturgical meetings of Russian emigrants began in June 1949 in Christchurch . In 1950, services began in Wellington , and in 1963 the first Russian separate church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Christchurch was consecrated. In the 1970s , the first Serbian and Romanian temples appeared in New Zealand. Moreover, the Romanian parish, before the formation of a separate Romanian department in 2007, was in the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Patriarchate.

Orthodoxy is currently the fastest growing denomination in New Zealand. In 1991-2006 , the number of Orthodox believers increased by 210%, while Catholics only 2%, and the number of parishioners of the Anglican Church fell by 40%. At the same time, the bulk of the Russian community is concentrated in the north of the country in the Auckland region. During his visit to New Zealand in December 2009, Metropolitan Hilarion of East America and New York discussed with the parliament the possibility of recognizing Orthodoxy as one of the official denominations. According to the 2013 census, the number of Orthodox Christians belonging to the Russian Church was 1,161 ^[3] .

Russian Orthodox Church Abroad

Parishes constitute the deanery of the New Zealand temples of the Australian-New Zealand diocese ^[4] .

• Church of the Resurrection of Christ . Auckland (447A Dominion Rd, Mt Eden). Center of Deanery. The temple was built in the 1950s in the Auckland district of Balmoral by representatives of the first wave of Russian immigration (immigrants from Europe and refugees from China). Due to the increase in the number of parishioners, a project for the construction of a new church is currently being developed.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior . Wellington (62 Darlington Rd, Miramar).
• Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker . Christchurch (297 Brougham St, Sydenham). Since June 1949, services were held on board the Dundalk Bay, then in the private house of Yevgeny Pavlovich Pakhomov. In 1951, a small summer house was converted into a church in the suburb of Opava . The modern church was founded on October 8, 1962 , and consecrated on December 23, 1963 .
• Archangel Michael community . Palmerston North (60 Linton St, West End).
• Temple of the Protection of the Holy Virgin Le Bons Bay. The temple was consecrated on October 29, 2011 on the territory of the summer children's camp.

Patriarchate of Constantinople

The parishes are part of the New Zealand Metropolis ^[5] , separated in 1970 from the Australian Archbishopric .

• Annunciation Cathedral . Wellington (3 Hania St, Mt Victoria).
• Church of St. Andrew Wellington (365 Broadway, Miramar).
• Church of St. Nectarios . Lauer Hutt (23 Bay St, Petone).
• Church of St. John the Baptist . Palmerston North (30 Rochester St, Awapuni).
• Church of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Solunsky . Hastings (Willowpark Road & Heretaunga Street).
• Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker . New Plymouth (201 Carrington St, Vogeltown).
• Church of the Holy Trinity . Auckland (106 Western Springs Rd).
• Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Christchurch (58 Malvern Street, St. Albans).
• Church of the Transfiguration . Masterton.

Antioch Orthodox Church

Parishes belong to the New Zealand Deanery of the Diocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. Services are mainly conducted in English (which distinguishes the parishes of the Antiochian Patriarchate), as well as in Arabic, Church Slavonic, Romanian and Greek, depending on the needs of the community.

• Mission of St. George the Victorious . Auckland (111 Ridge Road, Howick). It was founded in 2000 . Divine services are usually held in the Anglican Church of All Saints.
• Missionary parish of St. George the Victorious . Wellington (9 Haig St, Waterloo, Lower Hutt). It was founded in 1999 . Divine services are performed either in the Anglican Church of St. John, or in the Russian Church of Christ the Savior.
• Mission of the Holy Apostles Simon and Judah . Ashley (47 Canterbury St).
• Orthodox mission . Christchurch (21 Bunyan Street). It was founded in 1973 . Initially, services were held in the Russian St. Nicholas Church, since 1978 - in the Anglican Church of St. Mary in Addington. Since 1982, the mission has been located in various temples. Since 2003, services have been held at the Canterbury Women's Club.
• Chapel of Saints Gregory of Nyssa and Makrina . Diamond Harbor (2 Ngatea Rd).
• House of Prayer of St. Isaac . Christchurch (52 Ollivier Ave Selwyn Huts).
• Church of St. Michael the Archangel . Dunedin (72 Fingall Street). The oldest Orthodox parish in New Zealand, founded in the 1890s . The temple is also the oldest of the Orthodox, built in 1911 .

Serbian Orthodox Church

Parishes consist in the Australian and New Zealand diocese of the Novograchanitsky metropolis ^[6] .

• Church of St. Sava . Wellington (75 The Parade, Island Bay).
• The missionary parish of the Holy King Milutin of Serbia . Auckland Hamilton. Services are held in the Anglican Church of the Holy Martyr Alban (443 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden). A separate temple is being built.
• Mission of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker . Christchurch. Services are held in the Russian St. Nicholas Church (297 Brougham St.).

Romanian Orthodox Church

Parishes belong to the Australian and New Zealand diocese created in 2007 ^[7] .

• Church of St. Mary . Wellington (511 Adelaide Rd, Berhampore). The parish was founded in 1971 , the church was consecrated in 1980 .
• Parish of St. Ignatius of Antichia . Auckland (25 St Jude Street, Avondale). The parish was founded in the late 1970s and initially consisted in the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Patriarchate, since 2007 - in the Romanian Orthodox Church.
• Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Christchurch (40 Phillips St, Phillipstown). The parish was founded in 2004 . In 2008, I received in use the church of the Good Shepherd.
• Parish of St. George the Victorious . Hamilton The parish was founded in 2008 .
• Parish of St. Archdeacon Stephen . Ashburton . The parish was founded in 2008 .

• List of Russian Orthodox Churches in New Zealand

• History of New Zealand's oldest Orthodox parish
• Site of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Auckland
• Crkveno Shkolska Opshtina Wellington
• Misionara Parokhja for Auckland and Hamilton on New Zeland