He is the third son of the late Moya and Eric Rodgers. His brothers are Peter (North Auckland), Paul (Wiltshire) and Stephen (Dunedin). His sister, Jaedra, lives in Auckland, where his father now lives too. Chris and Adrienne have two children, Allan (Japan) and Jeanna (London).

In 1950 Chris and family emigrated to New Zealand via the Suez Canal. Mr Rodgers senior was an aeronautical engineer, but changed his vocation to work with hydro-electric developments, at Mangakino and Roxburgh.

Life was tough in the temporary villages. Chris with his educated accent was a target for the bullying of less fortunate migrant children, and he suffered considerable misery. His family did not have strong church connections, but it was in this environment that Chris first felt a strong call to the ministry.

The Rodgers moved to Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the South, and Chris attended High Street School for one year before beginning five years at Otago Boys High School.

The call to the church was still strong right until the seventh form but the thought of long university study caused him to decide to become a teacher, the profession of his grandparents.

Chris met Adrienne and it was love at first sight – ‘Virtually,’ says Chris. ‘Well, we met at the breakfast table at a Bible Class camp.’ They were strongly attracted to each other and only two months later became unofficially engaged. Eighteen months later they were married in the Gore Anglican Church.

Chris was a teacher for twenty years. He began at Kew School in Invercargill, then South Hillend, Balfour, Kindhaven - The IHC School, Waipouri Falls, Gore Main School, and Woodlands School. In most of the appointments he was Head of Department or Principal.

The call to ministry continued throughout this period. ‘There could be a lot of truth in the feminist view of God being a woman as God can certainly nag,’ he jokes. Eventually Chris could not avoid the calling any longer and went back to school, to the University of Otago, to complete a degree in Theology. On November 30, 1989, he was ordained in the Dunedin Cathedral by Bishop Peter Mann.

Chris became Curate at Oamaru, then on the 13th of August 1989 - the day we remember Florence Nightingale - Bishop Peter ordained him priest in St Luke's Church, Oamaru. Less than four months later he was appointed Vicar of Waimea Plains - where he and Adrienne have served for almost ten years.


I was born in Gore at the end of the war, the first child of four. I was followed by a brother, a sister and finally a second brother who has Downs Syndrome.

From his birth we were told of his diagnosis and he was brought up as a ‘normal’ and much loved member of our family.

He’s in his 40’s now. He lives and works in a Steiner community near Christchurch and keeps in regular touch with family.

I had loving parents, and grandparents, always close at hand.

I was lucky to be brought up in a stable environment with opportunities for learning, at various times, music, ballet, horse riding, drama and sport, all of which I enjoyed.

My parents were keen readers and gardeners and I grew up with a strong love of both. When I left school, I trained as a librarian, working mainly with children’s literature.

From as far back as I can remember, we went to Sunday school, church and bible class, beginning with the Presbyterian Church.

But as I got older I became curious about other denominations and went with friends to their churches or youth groups as well.

I felt lucky that so many friends came from Christian homes and that my parents were happy for me to cross denominational boundaries.

At about the time I met Chris, I was confirmed an Anglican. We married in the Anglican Church in Gore in 1967. Marriage certainly brought a significant and unexpected change.

Until then, I lived in the same house all my life. It was quite different to move house several times in the next few years as Chris took on different teaching positions.

Finally, just when I thought we were settled for good, he changed his career. He turned his collar round and became ‘clergy’ - and I have become the ‘vicar’s wife’.

However, I am able to retain my own identity - probably helped by my faith in a loving Creator.

And I have a large garden into which I can escape for wonderful moments of peace and contemplation. It is my choice to be as involved as I am in parish life.

It includes a lot of visiting. There’s one really good side to all that the shifting of homes throughout our married life, which included six months in 1998 working in England.

We made a very large circle of friends and we stay in touch. I spend a lot of time letter writing to share news and views with them and with our family.