Matthias Clement Tze-Wo Der (; born 14 August 1964) is an Anglican bishop from Hong Kong. He has served as

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

of Hong Kong Island since January 2021. Prior to his episcopacy, he served as the dean of

St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Evangelist is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Hong Kong Island, and mother church to the Province of Hong Kong and Macao. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Hong Kong and the Bishop of Hong Kong ...

from July 2012 to December 2020.

Early life

Der was born in Hong Kong and moved to Taiwan from 1966 to 1976, where his father served as priest in the Church of Good Shepherd in the Episcopal Church.New Hong Kong Coadjutor Has Canadian & American Ties
/ref> He described himself as a person "who could not speak clearly until the age of four, who struggled through school for most of his early schooling and who didn't learn the ABCs till the age of 12". In 1981, Der attended Seabury Hall, a boarding school in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. He attended the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institu ...

in 1984 and graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and obtained a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

degree from Wycliffe College, Toronto in 1990.

Ministry

In 1990, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

to the

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

in the Diocese of Toronto of the

Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church counted 359,030 members on parish rolls in 2,2 ...

, and to the priesthood in 1991. After serving his

curacy A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

, Der served as

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-el ...

of St Christopher's Anglican Church in

Greater Toronto The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater ...

for twenty years, helping St Christopher expand to a parish worshipping from two sites in

North York North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a p ...

and Richmond Hill. He was appointed an Honorary Canon of St James’ Cathedral, Toronto in 2007. Der was appointed Dean of St John's Cathedral of

Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (abbreviated SKH), also known as the Hong Kong Anglican Church (Episcopal), is the Anglican church in Hong Kong and Macao. It is the 38th Ecclesiastical province, Province of the Anglican Communion. It is also one of ...

(Hong Kong Anglican Church) in July 2012 and installed on 13 October 2012. He is also a delegate to the General Synod of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and serves as the Director of Supervisors for student placement at SKH Ming Hua Theological College and a member of the Board of Governors of

Matilda International Hospital Matilda International Hospital is a For-profit Community Hospital in Hong Kong located at 41 Mount Kellett Road, The Peak, Hong Kong Island. The hospital was built as a result of the last will and testament of Granville Sharp, the husband o ...

. Der was elected as the

Bishop Coadjutor A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co- ...

of the

Diocese of Hong Kong Island The Diocese of Hong Kong Island is one of the three dioceses under the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, a province of the Anglican Communion. Its territory covers Hong Kong Island and the outlying islands. The cathedral of the diocese, St. John's Cat ...

in November 2019. He was consecrated to the episcopate on 3 October 2020 at

St John's Cathedral (Hong Kong) The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Evangelist is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Hong Kong Island, and mother church to the Province of Hong Kong and Macao. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Hong Kong and the Bishop of Hong Kon ...

, after postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong, which also broke decades-long tradition with the absence of co-consecrators from other Anglican Communion provinces.Hong Kong bishop consecrated
/ref> He was enthroned as the Bishop of Hong Kong Island on 2 January 2021, succeeding Paul KwongHong Kong: Former Toronto priest elected bishop
/ref>

Family

Matthias Der is son of Canon Edmund B. Der (謝博文法政牧師), an Anglian priest and canon who served in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and USA.Installation of The Very Reverend Canon Matthias Der
/ref> His younger brother Canon Philip Der (謝子樂法政牧師) is also an Anglican priest and canon, who succeeded Matthias as incumbent at St Christopher. Matthias is married, and the couple have two daughters.The Very Reverend Matthias Tze Wo Der
/ref>

References

External links

The Very Reverend Matthias Tze Wo DerBishop Matthias's Consecration Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Der, Matthias Clement Tze-Wo Living people 1964 births Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui clergy Deans of Hong Kong 21st-century Anglican bishops in China Anglican bishops in Hong Kong Anglican bishops of Hong Kong Island