Archbishop Turei, 91, is still very active in his capacity as archbishop. In 2005 he was elected as the Bishop of Aotearoa and was the first Ngati Porou person to hold this position. He was consecrated as Primate and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia in 2006 and is highly respected for his ability to relate to people across all races and cultures.
Born in Opotiki in 1924, Archbishop Turei was not expected to survive. Two doctors wrote him off, he said.
“When I survived, my adopted parents actually said, ‘this one’s for the church’. I just can’t put a finger on it but right through my life I was directed. It didn’t matter what I did or who I was associating with.
“I wasn’t wrapped in cotton wool or anything, I was always part of the team and part of the community.
“I even went and enlisted with the military but even there I was kind of steered away from what other soldiers did by those around me — it was amazing.”
He credits meeting the right woman, his wife Mihi of 48 years, as a big part of his life. The couple met when he was a vicar in Gisborne and she was in training college. They have three children — losing their eldest to a brain tumour in 1989 — six grandkids and “a couple of greats”.
Prior to becoming a bishop, he served as the Archdeacon of Waiapu Diocese in Tairawhiti for eight years and as the Bishop of Tairawhiti for 12 years. He also served in the wider community as the chaplain at Hukarere Maori Anglican Girls College for nine years, and as the chaplain of the Napier Prison for four years.
