Wereta Bruce Aranga was born in Wairoa and educated at Kokako Native School, Waikaremoana, Te Teko Native School, Whakatane, and Ōpōtiki College. He worked in the Royal New Zealand Navy for twenty years and then began theological training. He was ordained to the priesthood of the Mihinare/Anglican church on 27 November 1993. He studied for LTh.Ao at Te Rau Kahikatea/St John’s Theological College in Auckland in 1993 and was awarded the Diploma in 1994. He is currently completing a BA degree through the Whare Wānanga O Te Pihopatanga O Aotearoa/Tairawhiti Taapapa and is studying for a degree in Atuatanga, Minitatanga and Iwi Hapu Studies. He is a licensed interpreter/translator and works in te reo Māori education and training. Aranga has been a member of Nga Puna Waihanga and is a composer of moteatea, nga kupu whakaari, nga whakatauki, and nga kupu karaipiture. A number of his waiata/mōteatea are sung throughout Aotearoa. He writes a bilingual publication in Māori and English dealing with ‘today’s modern interpretation of Scripture’ which is presented weekly to church congregations as a sermon/kauwhau. Aranga also produces personalised memorial services and unveiling services. He writes: ‘none of my material is Copyright or sold by me, because all of it is a gift from God, much of it is God-inspired, God-given, and it’s gifted to the general public to the glory of God, and I do not deem any of my published or composed or written material as mine to sell - its all give-away - gifted to the glory of God.’ He adds: ‘as a writer and publisher and composer and Deliverer of the GOOD NEWS to "live" audiences, I belong to a unique profession, world-wide. And we communicate in all languages, the same GOOD NEWS, consistently and passionately! Most, if not all of my material, is produced so that the material can be used by others on a national scale, i.e. the material does not "die" once any particular function has ended.’ He is ‘"an entrepreneur extraordinaire", no te ao kohatu ona hohonutanga engari kei roto i te ao o naianei ana mahi whanui’.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence with Wereta Bruce Aranga, 19, 26 and 27 July 1997.
Non-fiction
- Te Whare Wananga o Te Raukahikatea. Auckland, N.Z.: Te Whare Wānanga o Te Rau Kahikatea, [199?]
- A handbook of the Māori Theological College - Te Whare Wānanga o Te Rau Kahikatea - outlining its origins, history, curriculum, mission statement, training and qualifications.
- Te Ordination a to matou Koto. Kororia ki te Atua. B. Wairoa. N.Z.: B. Aranga, 1994.
- Service of ordination for Wereta Akuhata Bruce Aranga at St Paul’s Church, Wairoa on 28 November 1993 written in Māori.
Other
- Funeral/Nehu Karakia Liturgies. B. Aranga. Wairoa, N.Z.: B. Aranga.
- A series of funeral services, service booklets and kauwhau/sermons for church members which are printed and gifted to congregations.
- Sunday Kauwhau Waikaremoana. No further details.
- Māori language text for a predominantly Māori audience - ratanga, katorika, mihinare, ringatu.
- [Other Liturgies.] B. Aranga.
- Other service sheets written by Aranga which include ANZAC Day Memorial Services, Memorial Services, Ordinations, Weddings, Christmas Eve Services and other special occasions.
- Te Ataarangi Service 1994. No further details.
- An interdenominational Memorial Service of Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglican and Ratana. Aranga co-ordinated this ‘live’ publication with other churches. This is one of Aranga’s earliest publications.
- Selwyn Lectures 1995. 7-9 August 1995.
- Aranga provides a summary of his observations and the discussion by representatives of the five Amorangi of Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa and Te Rau Kahikatea attending the 1995 Selwyn Lectures by Dr Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza, Professor of Scripture and Divinity at Harvard University, USA, from 7-9 August 1995. The themes of the lectures were: ‘Feminist Theology’, ‘The Liberation Struggle of Women’. ‘Radical Theology’, and ‘An Equal Discipleship.’
- Christmas Eve 1996. No further details.
- This annual ‘give-away’ publication is based on the 1996 original service sheet and contains some original compositions by Aranga including the two versions of "It was Xmas Day in Wairoa".
Papers/Presentations
- "Weekly Sermon/Kauwhau." Te Kauwhau Mo Tenei Wiki. Ed. B. Aranga. Wairoa, N.Z.: B. Aranga.
- A weekly sermon written in English by Aranga and distributed to church congregations. He retains an archival collection of this series of sermons.
Traditional
- "Ralph Olsen." Te Kaea: The Māori Magazine 5 (Feb. 1981): 2.
- A tribute to Ralph Olsen of Ngāti Porou.
- "Kua Hinga Te Tetekura o Aotearoa." Wereta B. ‘Letters to Editor.’ Wairoa Star 29 July 1997.
- In this poroporoaki Aranga pays tribute to the leadership, vision and humility of Māori statesman and politician Matiu Rata.
- Whakapuputia te Kakaho. B. Aranga. Wairoa, N.Z.: B. Aranga, 1997.
- A whaikōrero mōteatea/h˚mene composed by Aranga and performed ‘live’ by a ten-year old at the Māori Women’s Welfare League Māori Speech Competitions held in Wanganui in 1997. Aranga writes that the mōteatea/h˚mene is already in used by League branches and Kura Kaupapa Māori in Tairawhiti.