Assembly Council update
This is the May 2022 update from Assembly Council. These will become regular updates letting you know what we're up to, the things we are…
Easter Sunday in the megachurch
Before I started to pray, I made a silly mistake: I looked at the Stuff newsfeed. The fourth headline down depicted the demise of another…
Glen Eden and Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga
Visionwest Community Housing addresses the issue of homeless in New Zealand by providing safe, warm, and quality, rental accommodation for low-income families who cannot access…
Red-orange-green light: a pastor, a church and unity in Christ
Tim Palmer, Senior Pastor, Franklin Baptist Church shares his journey in a local church as they seek to navigate the vaccination discussion, as they listen…
What’s next? Church on the other side of Omicron
The last two years of COVID-19 have been deeply disruptive, both for society and for the church. Many Christians have drifted away from regular engagement…
Imagining a gender equal world: our experience of Women’s History Sunday
Imagining a gender equal world: our experience of Women's History Sunday
Has the time come to act?
In this opinion piece Andrew Clark-Howard continues the dialogue on mandates, vaccinations, protests and theology.
The other half of what we owe each other
Andrew Clark-Howard’s assessment of the anti mandate protest (What we owe each other: freedom, protest, and responsibility) draws upon excellent resources from Bonhoeffer on freedom.
Biblical principles for churches wrestling with vaccine mandates
Recently, John Tucker, Principal of our theological college (Carey Baptist College) received an email from one of the leaders in our movement of churches, asking…
Women’s History Sunday, 6th March 2022
Featuring two remarkable New Zealand Women: Elinor Thornton and Merrilyn Withers
What we owe each other: freedom, protest, and responsibility
We’ve all seen it; the images and videos on our screen of people gathering to protest at parliament with a rather bewildering array of placards…
Re-imagining registration
“Managing change” and “learning to pivot” are phrases we’ve become familiar with over the last year. Probably more than we would actually have liked! While…
The End of Life Choice Act: the practicalities
What actually happens in the process of assisted dying? In this article we hear from GP Rebekah Kilpatrick who unpacks the approximately 40 hours of work…
The End of Life Choice Act: being a carer
The caring of a person who has made the choice to end their life through physician assisted dying is now a possibility in New Zealand.…
The End of Life Choice Act: what does faithful Christianity look like?
Assisted dying became legally available on 7 November 2021. Continuing on in this series of articles to resource and support our churches at this time, pastor and scholar Jonathan…
Local church made a cheesy Covid safety video (And we love it!)
Pastor Albert Tang at Pakuranga Chinese Baptist Church mentioned on social media: “Just sharing the video we produced for information and clarification for returning to…
Caring for each other helps in many ways: churches respond to the pandemic
Human beings need many things to survive and to thrive. In addition to our obvious physical needs, self-determination theorists point to three things that are…
Caring for each other helps in many ways: churches respond to the pandemic
An earlier version of this article was published in the Otago Daily Times on 15 October 2021. Reproduced with permission. Lynne Taylor is Researcher for…
Not vaccinated: a pastor’s personal opinion
Simon Williams is a pastor at Kaiapoi Baptist Church. The opinions expressed here are his own. View more opinion on Baptist magazine.
Responding to the #MeToo movement—with a message from Jesus and the Samaritan woman
Is sexual abuse an issue for the church in 21st Century Aotearoa New Zealand? In this long-form article Daphne Marsden, one of our pastor/scholar/authors shares…
God’s hands and feet—Community Chaplaincy
“I value every opportunity to be God’s hands and feet where possible” says Beryl Diack, Community Chaplain of Eastside Baptist Church in Invercargill.
Wrapping women in aroha: Still Water Scarves
Two years ago, a small group of women from Palmerston North Central Baptist Church, inspired by a message by Tearfund during missions month, set up…
An individual’s Christian response to a vaccine mandate in the workplace
Vaccination mandates and the workplace: Are Christians in the firing line? Gareth Jones attends Dunedin City Baptist Church and is Emeritus Professor in Anatomy at…
Emerging from a lockdown response to a global pandemic
Rick Pierce, works for the Northern Baptist Association as a Network Pastor, Health & Development. Here he shares some ways local churches can respond as we…
Justice like a river: immigration and prayer
Deborah Makarios of Epuni Baptist Church asks “Who is my neighbour?”
Cross-shaped unity for church through the COVID-19 Protection Framework
Since the Government’s announcement about the COVID-19 Protection Framework, my mind, like that of many pastors, has been occupied by what this will mean for…
An open letter to the unvaccinated in the Christian community
Gareth Jones attends Dunedin City Baptist Church and is Emeritus Professor in Anatomy at the University of Otago. He has written this letter to Christians…
Taking responsibility for health is not at odds with worship
This article was first published in the Otago Daily Times on 25 October 2021. Reproduced with permission.
666 and the COVID-19 pandemic
A Baptist pastor asked last week if we would provide something on why the COVID-19 vaccine should not be considered the ‘Mark of the Beast’. Our very own retired Carey Baptist…
We need much more time to talk on Sunday
Living through this pandemic, what are we most looking forward to about getting back to in-person church services on Sunday morning?
Time for action—what comes after staying at home and rolling my sleeve up?
As a follow on from last week's opinion piece: Vaccinations and the local church: Seven views on the current situation, Alan Jamieson, General Director of…
Vaccinations and the local church: Seven views on the current situation
What we have done is seek a variety of perspectives at this time on the vaccinated/not-vaccinated discussion as New Zealand soon ends lockdowns in favour…
Understanding your Neighbourhood: Conversations with Charles Hewlett
This is the webinar recording of the final in this 3-episode series (22 September 2021) where Charles Hewlett (Baptist National Leader) talked with Lynne Taylor…
COVID, government and individual soul liberty—a pastor’s question answered by the Principal
One of our Baptist pastors had a theological question. Our college Principal, Dr John Tucker answers this below.
Mental wellbeing for leaders in lockdown
In 2020, as New Zealand was in its first lockdown, it was important to remind ourselves that this was a marathon, not a sprint. We had…
Coming out of crisis
In 2020 after coping with COVID restrictions for some time, Paul Askin shared these words of encouragement in living through crisis.
The future of ministry and mission—Mike Crudge
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Christine Saywell
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Richardson Lau
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Donna Denmead
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Dave Tims
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Jamie Li
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Cliff Thompson
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Jonathan Edmeades
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Helen Geddes
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Chris Chamberlain
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Kate Dunstan-Brown
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…
The future of ministry and mission—Grant Harris
What is God saying to you and to others? What will future ministry and mission look like? What things need to remain the same? What…