This time last year, the ordination of openly gay Dunedin man Juan Kinnear as deacon of his Anglican Church sparked outrage from some conservatives who protested loudly at the ceremony.
But fortunately there were no protestors at St. Paul's Cathedral last Saturday for Kinnear's ordination as a priest - this time only his friends, family and supporters in the church community were in attendance.
"It was a lovely service, well attended, and there were none of the problems we experienced last year," he explains.
"So all in all, it was a very positive experience. I was hugely relieved."
Kinnear, 38, and his male partner will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their relationship next year.
Some media attention about the ordination of a gay man as deacon in November 2006 prompted a three protesters from Christchurch to attend Kinnear's ordination ceremony. They got up during the course of the service and raised their objections, but the ceremony continued despite their outcry.
So is Kinnear New Zealand's first openly gay priest? "I think that it would be wrong to say that I am the first," he replies.
"There are number of people who are gay who serve as Priests within the church. There's no blanket policy which really governs the way in which the church deals with these issues.
"So as far as I'm aware, I wouldn't be the first, not at all."
A deacon is formally responsible for the pastoral care within the parish in which they are placed, Kinnear explains. Becoming a priest means stepping up to a leadership role.
"It means I can do things like pronounce blessings and pronounce absolutions during the course of the service.
"So it's a change from a role aimed at serving, to a role of leading within the community."
