Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa

The Most Reverend Sione Ulu’ilakepa is Bishop of the Diocese of Polynesia and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Archbishop Sione was installed as Archbishop and Diocesan Bishop at a service of consecration and installation on the 11th of March 2023 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Suva, Fiji, succeeding Archbishop Fereimi Cama.

Archbishop Sione brings to his new role valuable experience gained during his time as a long-serving priest and pastor, and as an educator and educational administrator, in both secondary and tertiary institutions. He is well-versed in theology, liturgy, and church and community governance. Over his 30 years in ordained ministry, Archbishop Sione has undertaken ten parish positions and ten diocesan roles in Polynesia, ministering in every country within the Diocese. Since 2013 Archbishop Sione has served as Moana Ministry Educator at St John’s Theological College in Suva.

Archbishop Sione envisages a future for the Anglican Church in which we return to the basics of godly listening and embrace new ways of worshipping together. He sees the importance of supporting new technologies that help us work for social justice, especially in the Diocese of Polynesia where it deals with the consequences of increasingly frequent natural disasters and the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic: “God has put us in a time and a world that is in need of God’s healing, reconciliation and forgiveness. Our response to this need must be as agents of justice and God’s loving embrace. We have work to do.”