DEAN BECOMES BISHOP

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31081, 9 June 1966, Page 1

DEAN BECOMES BISHOP

The Very Rev. W. A. Pyatt, Dean of Christchurch, has been appointed fifth Bishop of Christchurch to succeed the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren, who will retire on June 23. No date for the consecration has been fixed.

This was announced yesterday by the Primate of New Zealand (the Most Rev. N. A. Lesser) in Napier.

With the elevation of Dean Pyatt, a new Dean of Christchurch must be chosen. He will be appointed by the new Bishop with the concurrence of the Standing Committee of the Diocese and the Cathedral Chapter.

Born in Gisborne in 1916, the Very Rev. William Allan Pyatt (photographed above at his press conference in Christchurch yesterday) was educated at Gisborne High School where he was dux, head prefect, and played in the first fifteen and the first eleven.

When he graduated B.A. from Auckland University College in 1938, he was senior scholar in history and was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship. He graduated M.A. in 1939 before entering St. John’s College, Auckland, for his early theological training. Sailing with the First Eche-

lon as a second-lieutenant in the 18th Battalion, he was wounded in Greece, was A.D.C. to General Freyberg, rose to the rank of major, commanded a tank squadron in the 18th Armoured Regiment and, at the end of the war, was second in command of the 20th Armoured Regiment.

His theological training was continued at Westcott House, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon at Lichfield in 1946 and priest the next year after working as an assistant curate in the mining parish of Cannock, Staffordshire. He did a great deal of work among youth. , Returned To N.Z. ' In 1948 Dean Pyatt returned to New Zealand to become vicar of Brooklyn. From 1952 to 1958 he was vicar of Hawera, and then vicar of St. Peter’s Church, Wellingon until 1962. Again his work was with young people and with alcoholics. Dean Pyatt was a member of the board of governors of the Wellington Technical College and of the board of directors of the Y.M.C.A. He served on the management committee of the National Society of Alcoholic. For several years he was a Rugby referee in Taranaki and Wellington. In 1962 he was appointed Dean of Christchurch and Deputy Vicar-General of the Diocese. He has popularised the Cathedral while maintaining the full cathedral tradition. The annual Lenten Mission when the community

hymn singing has been held, question and answer sessions, teaching sermons and close co-operation with the university chaplain, have been features of his term.

Strong Views Dean Pyatt has expressed strong views on Rhodesian and Vietnamese affairs and on the South African colour bar. Dean Pyatt has taken a keen interest in Maori problems. He has been chairman of the Diocesan Social Service Council and chairman of Te Wai Pounamu Maori Girls’ College.

He has been active In ecumenical affairs and is a member of the executive of the National Council of Churches in New Zealand. He has also been prominent in the Church Union negotiations and is a member both of the provincial as well as the diocesan committees discussing church union.