A Northland man has made history as the first New Zealander in an openly gay relationship to become an Anglican priest.

Chris Swannell, who owns a boutique lodge at Russell's Orongo Bay with his partner, the wine and travel writer Michael Hooper, led his first service at Christ Church in Russell on Sunday morning.

He had been ordained as a priest two weeks earlier, after a wait of 13 years in which he had served the Russell community as a church deacon.

The Bishop of Auckland, Jim White, said the church had had gay clergy for centuries and in recent decades had adopted a policy of "don't tell and we won't ask".

However, because the church would not bless same-sex relationships, gay priests were expected to commit to being celibate.

That changed in May this year when a general synod passed a new ruling allowing same-sex relationships to be blessed by the church.

It was a compromise which stopped short of allowing the church to wed two men or two women, but it did open the door to people in same-sex relationships to become priests.

Swannell was the first person in the Auckland diocese, and to the best of his knowledge in all of New Zealand, to become a priest under the church's new legislation.

White said every time he had visited Russell in the past 13 years parishioners would ask him when Swannell would be allowed to become a priest.

"It's been the heart-felt desire of the vast majority of people in Russell. It's been their plea for a long time."

He described Russell's newest priest as a "lovely man" with life-long dedication to the church.

"I expect he'll have a wonderful ministry," White said.

Swannell, who worked as a parish assistant in the 1980s and 90s and has been a deacon since 2005, said the final step of becoming a priest had been a long time coming.

It had happened because the community wanted it, he said.

''I see it as a progressive step for the church. I guess you could call it a milestone.''

He would be a member of a local shared ministry leading regular services at Russell's historic Christ Church, officiating at weddings and funerals, and sharing responsibility for pastoral care.

The reaction of Russell people had been very positive, he said.

"It's a very tolerant, progressive and inclusive community, and I think this change is a healthy sign.''

Swannell was ordained at Christ Church in Whangārei on July 22 by Archbishop John Paterson and Bishop Jim White of Auckland, and Bishop Andrew Hedge of Waiapu.

Each diocese around New Zealand can choose whether to allow the blessing of same-sex relationships and hence the ordination of people in such relationships. Auckland, which includes Northland, has embraced the change, while other areas, such as Nelson, have not.