Joel Carpenter
Kia ora everyone, my name is Joel Carpenter and along with my wife Hinemoa are Ministers at St. Mary’s in Glen Innes opposite Tāmaki College. St. Mary’s is an Anglican Methodist church or a combined Parish. It’s called a Co-operating Parish where we’ve got people from different walks of life and different backgrounds who are part of our church community.
We were asked to come to G.I. by the Bishop of Auckland, Bishop Ross Bay, and we jumped at the chance because we already knew G.I. as Hinemoa had been involved with Tamaki WRAP and other great initiatives back when we lived up the road for a few years at St. John’s when we were training. We knew a bit of what was going on in G.I. and just loved the community.
We arrived in December last year (2020), and since then we’ve just kinda just hit the ground running. I’m and Anglican Priest, Hinemoa is a Community Deacon and she is also a school teacher, and I’m also a house painter/contractor. We both have other jobs to help pay the rent and bills.
We just love people, we love getting to know new people, serving in this community wherever we can be useful. In terms of background I’ve had lots of different careers: radio broadcasting, youth worker, and now I’m a Minister/house painter. We’re like Jack-of-all-trades, and Masters of None. I’m a Pukekohe boy originally from South Auckland, Hinemoa is from the Bay of Plenty.
Hinemoa became a Change Agent first, she always leads the way in our whanau. We just love the work that The HEART Movement does; it’s serving the community, it’s filling in gaps where it’s most needed. Glen Innes is a very colourful, vibrant place, and there’s a lot of whanau here who do struggle because of the pressures of modern life and the cost of living in Auckland.
We just love the way The HEART Movement is really seeking to help build healthy whanau and help people wherever the need is greatest. Especially around relationships, trying to have healthy relationships with ourselves and with each other. So yeah, when Hinemoa became a Change Agent, she eventually twisted my arm. I had been talking with Ren about the need for more stuff for guys in G.I., there’s not a lot offered for men in our community. When I was asked to jump onboard with that kaupapa, I was like, “Yup, bring it on!” I’d love to serve and come up with some initiatives for men. Love the Change Agents, awesome people – it’s like a big whānau.
I like the freedom to come up with ideas and be creative with the solutions that the community needs. I know that a lot of times that Government agencies will wade in a community and try and give their solutions, and often they’re not the best. The HEART Movement is trying to find solutions and find the people that can do the work here. People who are from this area or have an affinity with this place and feel a sense of calling to work amongst the people. The HEART Movement is a movement, it’s finding people who have the heart to do the work and just releasing them to do the mahi. For us Change Agents we’re just trusted to do the work, and I love that sense of freedom and just being able to be released to use your skills and gifts to minister, to reach people and bring change.
I love fixing stuff, I love practical stuff and using my hands. I love repairing broken down stuff or building stuff. I’d love to start a little men’s shed or workshop called “Who Cares Repairs”. The idea is if you’ve got something you want to fix, but you don’t care about whether it’s a high-quality job, you come along to Who Cares Repairs, and Matua Joel or one of my team of “unskilled/slightly skilled repair not-experts” will have a go. We’ve gotta tell Ren we’re gonna look for funding for Who Cares Repairs men’s workshop. We may not be able to fix it, but we’ll have a go. It’s a little dream or vision of mine. We’ve got the bike hub to fix bikes, but what if you want to fix your lawnmower? Or computer? And you have no money, come down to Who Cares Repairs.
Look after yourself, so that you can look after others. With our situation, with COVID, just make sure that you look after yourself so that you have the strength to care for other people and be kind to yourself.