Our People
Vicar – The Reverend Dr Tony Surman
The Vicar of St Mark’s Church is The Rev’d Dr Tony Surman. Tony began his ministry here in February 2018. He was ordained priest in 2009 and has served as priest assistant in St Luke’s Church, Mt Albert and then Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he became Precentor in 2013. In 2014 he completed a PhD in Christian thought and history, which is available here. Before his appointment to St Mark’s Church, he was Vicar of St Martin’s @ St Chads in Sandringham.
Tony’s background is eclectic. He worked in the building trade before completing a science degree and entering the field of industrial chemistry. In his early thirties he became increasingly drawn to theology and took extramural classes in that area of inquiry. After a few years of discernment, he ‘took the plunge,’ left his day job and commenced full-time formation for Anglican priesthood at St John’s Theological College in Meadowbank, New Zealand.
Many of Tony’s views on theology are quite traditional. He believes, for instance, that God both transcends and fills every part of the universe, is mind-like, personal and loving, and the most real thing there is. So far, so conventional. When it comes to scripture, Tony is more radical. He views the various books of the Bible as the response of people and communities to the action of God in their life and lives – reflection that was deemed significant enough by their contemporaries to preserve for future generations. He describes the scriptures as ‘treasures which sustain us on our journey of faith, but we can’t expect them to be inerrant. To do so would be to make a created thing God – and that would be asking for trouble.’ A better course, Tony suggests, is to pore over what previous generations of believers have said about life, its value and its purpose and bring these insights into dialogue with current thought on the same topics.
If you come to church on a Sunday morning, and Tony is preaching, you should see this process in action. Don’t expect radical conclusions every Sunday though. Most of the time, the insights of biblical writers trump any alternative insights Tony is able to discern from the world today. Occasionally, however, when the scriptures, for instance, are advocating racial purity (Ezra 10:10-11), gender inequality (1 Timothy 2:12) or genocide (Numbers 21:2-3; Deuteronomy 20:17; Joshua 6:17,21, 1 Samuel 15), Tony gets on his high horse.
When he is not prognosticating on matters beyond his reach, Tony reverts to building and repairing things, and has occasionally been seen with his loving wife and children.
Lay Minister – Trevor Brooker
Trevor Brooker was licensed as a Lay Minister of the Parish of St Mark, Remuera, in January 2012. Trevor has had a long association with the Anglican Church in New Zealand, beginning with his role as a choir boy in the Parish of Karori, Wellington Diocese at the age of 10, later becoming a Sunday School teacher and youth leader. He joined St Mark’s in 1984 as a chorister at the suggestion of a soprano he met while in Auckland Choral Society, and later married her (at St Mark’s). Both are still singing in the choir. Trevor is licensed as a Lay Minister, Liturgist, and Pastor with permission to anoint. He is able to visit and share communion with parishioners who are ill, housebound or unable to come to church. He sometimes takes or participates in funeral services and assists with Wednesday morning Communion Services from time to time.
Trevor started his working life as a sewing machine technician, and soon specialised in automation in the clothing industry. When the New Zealand clothing industry declined, he specialised in industrial embroidery machines, starting his own company in 1995. He taught many people how to design and sew out machine embroidery and became the New Zealand agent for commercial embroidery machines. When he retired, he started embroidering church ecclesiastical garments. He has embroidered most of the stoles and chasubles for St Marks, the Auckland Anglican Cathedral, and many other churches, including churches in Australia, the United States and England. For some examples of Trevor’s work visit his Facebook page.
He has applied his technical skills to working with the St Mark’s organ over many years, supervising its restoration and most recently the building and installation of the new console, where he has made use of its many mechanical, pneumatic and electronic attributes, including acting as “ghost organist” when an organist is not available.
Trevor is not allowed to cut his beard after 1 August each year, so that he will be ready as Father Christmas at the Carols on the Lawn function and for the children at Mainly Music.
Director of Music and Organist – Matthew Howes
Matthew is a conductor, countertenor, and occasional pianist and organist. He completed his BA(Hons) in Music at Durham University, where he studied conducting with James Lancelot (organist of Durham Cathedral) and with Mark Heron at the Royal Northern College of Music. While at university, Matthew directed St Cuthbert’s Society Chapel Choir, sang in numerous chapel and concert choirs, and was fortunate to conduct a range of orchestras, operas and musicals.
Since moving to New Zealand in 2013, Matthew has had the privilege of singing with a number of Auckland’s finest church and concert choirs. He spent four years singing with the choir of Holy Trinity Cathedral and has conducted Camerata Chamber Choir since 2020. Most recently, Matthew was Leader of the Voices at St Matthew-in-the-City, where he was jointly responsible for organising music for the weekly service schedule and leading the professional quartet.
Outside of music, Matthew works in the storm-water industry and enjoys a good bike ride or bottle of wine. He is delighted to be the next Director of Music at St Mark’s, and is looking forward to continuing the long tradition of music at this wonderful place of worship.