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Bishop Richard Ellena was 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.
Richard 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.
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Those musical genes flow through Richard. 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
Hilary shares that musical gift.
On leaving Burnside High, Richard 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 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,
Richard was asked by Bishop Derek Eaton 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. Since then, both Richard and Hilary have also played an
active part in the wider Marlborough community. Richard and Hilary have two adult
children.
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