Long before Penny Sinnamon was ordained in 1997, she questioned the existence of God and the place of religion.

“I was a bit of a non-believer for a long time and I thought I had to find out if it were real or not,” she said.

“The God I knew was a stern-faced old white figure who sat up in the sky and was feared by everyone. You can’t love someone you fear.”

Her research and studies led her to know a God much bigger than how he, or she, is defined.

“He is a word we use, but God is plural - male and female,” she said.

Penny had always been involved in her Central Otago and Omakau communities through community organisations.and becoming a vicar made her contributions easier, she said.

“It gave me permission to do what I could do anyway.”

Penny obtained her qualification by correspondence to become ordained as a volunteer vicar for the Anglican Church performed her duties as a vicar with Dunstan Parish across most of Central Otago, volunteering for many years, and receiving 25 per cent of a vicar’s salary for five years. 

She is well regarded for connecting personally with people in her community, assisting them in small and impactful ways, from social visits, support through grief, to financial assistance or food in times of hardship. She supports seniors and the vulnerable, visiting them while sick, arranging support, providing social visits and outings. 

Penny volunteered as chaplain at Omakau School, where she worked with children struggling in the classroom or feeling left out, also providing support to the children’s families where needed. She organised the school’s ANZAC Day commemorations, leading services and involving students. 

Within the wider community Penny has been club captain of Omakau Golf Club, held all offices with Valley Hockey Club and her local Rural Women branch, been a member and performer with the Omakau Musical Society, and has been president of the Omakau Citizens Association.

She said she found the King’s Birthday Honour “very humbling” but there were many people in the community just as deserving as her.

“There are a lot of people around who do a lot of good work,” she said.

Penny will turn 80 in October and still leads a service at Ranfurly and said she would continue to work in the community “as much as I can”. She fears, however, that communities are not gathering together as they used to.

“We used to meet for all sorts of things,” she said. “There were groups that brought everyone together - not as Catholics or Protestants but as individuals. We all met together and if you knew someone had a problem, you would help.”