Michael Brown (New Zealand priest)

Michael Henry Brown CNZM OStJ ED (15 April 1936 – 8 January 2024) was a New Zealand Anglican priest. After a range of clerical roles in Canterbury, he was Dean of Wellington Cathedral of St Paul[1] from 1985 to[2] 2002.


Michael Brown

ChurchAnglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Orders
Ordination1964
Personal details
Born
Michael Henry Brown

(1936-04-15)15 April 1936
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died8 January 2024(2024-01-08) (aged 87)
Spouse
Anne Elizabeth Pierre
(m. 1965)
EducationChristchurch Boys' High School
Alma materUniversity of Canterbury

Early life and family edit

Michael Brown was born in Christchurch on 15 April 1936, the son of Catherine (nee Dunn) and Harry Brown, a First World War artillery veteran. He was the youngest of three; he had an older sister, Jean (b.1923), and a brother, Peter (b.1929). Both predeceased him. He was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School.[3] He saw military service with the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery between 1955 and 1958, before going on to study at the University of Canterbury, graduating Bachelor of Commerce in 1963, and qualifying as an associate chartered accountant the same year.[3] He later gained a Master of Business Administration degree from University of South Bend, Indiana in 1991.[3]

On 9 January 1965, Michael married Anne Elizabeth Pierre.[3] at St Barnabas Church, Fendalton, in Christchurch.

Priesthood edit

Brown completed study for the Licentiate of Theology[3] and was ordained in the Diocese of Christchurch in 1964. After curacies in Linwood and Ashburton, he held incumbencies at Marchwiel, Burwood and Merivale.[4] He was also Archdeacon of Rangiora and Westland.

Brown continued his military involvement with the Royal New Zealand Chaplains Department (RNZChD) between 1967 and 1984, and was awarded the Efficiency Decoration in 1983.[3] During this time he was Chaplain to 3 Transport Company, Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT); 3 Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery (RNZA); and Headquarters 3 Task Force Region (3TFR). During this period, he was chaplain to the New Zealand Antarctic Programme,[5] Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), in which capacity he visited Antarctica twice, in 1978 and 1980. He was also a part-time police chaplain in Christchurch from the late 1970s, and was Chaplain Commandant of the RNZChD from 1995 to 2005.[6]

From 1985 to 2002, Brown was Dean of Wellington Cathedral. During this time, with the agreement of Archbishop Brian Davis (who was also Bishop of Wellington at this time), he embarked on a campaign to complete the cathedral. The cathedral had been built in stages in the 1960s and 1970s, and the nave remained about half the planned size. Owing to the cathedral's role in state and civic occasions, it was deemed desirable to complete it according to the original plans. A major fundraising effort ensued, which raised over $6 million in 1998 dollars.

Brown died on 8 January 2024, at the age of 87.[7]

Honours and awards edit

In 1990, Brown was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[3] In 2001, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of St John.[8] He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to the community.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ E Hive
  2. ^ Blain, Michael. Wellington Cathedral of St Paul: A History 1840–2001
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 81. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  4. ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory 1980/82 p 1004: Oxford, OUp, 1983 ISBN 0192000101
  5. ^ Journal of the New Zealand Antarctic Society, Vol 17 No1, 1998-99, p2
  6. ^ "Army News" 12 November 2005
  7. ^ "Michael Brown obituary". The Press. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  8. ^ "No. 56082". The London Gazette. 5 January 2001. p. 122.
  9. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 1999 (including Niue)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 7 June 1999. Retrieved 16 June 2019.