The Bishop of Aotearoa (Maori: Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa) is a bishop in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The post was created in 1928. The Bishop of Aotearoa is the most senior bishop of Tikanga Māori and the Ordinary of the Bishopric of Aotearoa which jurisdiction covers the whole of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Bishop of Aotearoa, is also the Primate and Archbishop of Aotearoa New Zealand & Polynesia. The office of Bishop of Aotearoa is currently held by Archbishop Donald Tamihere, who was installed in April 2018 at Manutuke Marae.
The Bishop of Aotearoa is nominated by Te Runanganui (synod) o Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa; but subject to the consent of Te Hīnota Whānui / General Synod. The last election was in Nelson, September 2017; that nomination was approved by March 2018.[1]
The Bishop of (Te Pīhopa o) Aotearoa heads the Māori Anglican Church throughout New Zealand. The Bishopric of Aotearoa has within it five episcopal units (hui amorangi) each with their own unique identity and a Pīhopa (Bishop): Te Taitokerau (Pīhopa: Kito Pikaahu), Te Manawa o te Wheke (Ngarahu Katene), Te Tairāwhiti (Don Tamihere), Te Upoko o Te Ika (Wai Quayle) and Te Waipounamu (Richard Wallace).