Today’s Leader of Faith
George Augustus Selwyn
Home Call : 11 April 1878
Anglican Bishop, Evangelist, Missionary, Educator, Scholar
George Augustus Selwyn (1809–1878) was the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand and later the Bishop of Lichfield. He played a significant role in missionary work and church establishment in New Zealand and the Pacific. He relocated to Auckland in 1844 and founded St John’s College. As Bishop of New Zealand, he played a key role in church organization, supporting high-church practices while also appointing CMS missionaries. He expanded his influence into the Pacific, leading to the formation of the Melanesian Mission. His legacy remains influential but complex, shaping both the Anglican Church in New Zealand and its troubled relationship with indigenous communities. His leadership in establishing the Anglican Church in New Zealand and Melanesia laid a strong foundation for future Christian missions.
Selwyn was born on 5 April 1809 in Hampstead and educated at Great Ealing School, Eton, and St John’s College, Cambridge, where he excelled academically and athletically. He was part of the first Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1829. After graduating, he became an assistant master at Eton and later a curate at St John’s, Windsor. In 1841, following a council at Lambeth, he was appointed the first Bishop of New Zealand.
Selwyn was consecrated in 1841 and travelled to New Zealand to establish his missionary diocese. He quickly learned the Māori language and extensively toured the region, setting up mission stations and theological schools. His impact on both the church and education was significant. He played a key role in forming the self-governing structure of the Anglican Church in New Zealand and was made metropolitan bishop in 1858. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Lambeth Conference and later became the 91st Bishop of Lichfield in 1868.
Selwyn resigned as Bishop of New Zealand in 1869 and served in Lichfield until his death in 1878. He passed away in Lichfield, England, at the age of 69. He is honored by the Church of England and the Episcopal Church on April 11, and various places, including roads and districts in New Zealand and the UK, bear his name.
— John Michael, Rajahmundry