The Presbyterian General Assembly began in Dunedin last night, with the induction of the church's new moderator - the Rt Rev Richard Dawson.
The 58-year-old Dunedin minister was installed as the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand's new leader at a special service of worship and prayer at Knox Church.
The church elects a different person as its leader every two years, and Mr Dawson will hold the role until 2018.
He was born in Dunedin, studied at the University of Otago, and later at Knox Theological Hall where he completed his training in 1988.
He has been lead pastor at Leith Valley Presbyterian Church for the past 17 years, and previously ministered in South Otago at the Stirling/Kaitangata Parish.
Mr Dawson will preside over and chair events at the Presbyterian General Assembly, being held in Dunedin until Saturday.
The church is the third-largest denomination in New Zealand, with more than 300,000 people identifying as Presbyterian in the 2013 census, and 30,000 regular church attenders.
About 360 Presbyterians will be at the University of Otago for the biennial General Assembly, where ministers, elders and youth representatives from parishes around the country will decide the direction of the church.
The keynote speaker at the assembly is Rod Wilson. Dr Wilson originally trained as a clinical psychologist, but later pursued theological training after completing his doctoral work.
He has served as Regent College president from 2000-15, and held various positions at Tyndale College and Seminary in Toronto from 1978-95.
