Taken from the National Leader Job Description, the key responsibilities of the National Leader are to:

1. Influence and exercise a prophetic role to the Baptist Movement as a whole, to build a clear and collaborative vision of gospel renewal for the future.
2. Nurture and protect the Movement’s unchanging commitments to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Word of God as proclaimed in the Bible.
3. Lead and guide the National Lead Team, the National Ministry Leaders and the Regional Leader Team, with a continued focus on:
   • Raising up new Baptist pastoral and community leaders.
   • Aligning the Baptist movement’s resources for best missional outcomes.
   • Ensuring that Baptist churches are places where people thrive.
4. Model the Movement’s Te Tiriti Hīkoi / the Treaty journey and the deepening of its bi-cultural commitment.
5. Promote respect and collaboration with the Movement’s increasingly multicultural and ethnic churches and their leaders.
6. Represent the Movement publicly both domestically and internationally, for example, to the Baptist World Alliance.
7. Sit on the National Council to which he or she will report, the Mission Council, and the Carey Baptist College Board.

The formal process according to the Baptist Union of New Zealand Constitution and Rules:

III. Appointment of Senior Staff

15. Senior Staff appointments shall be made by the National Hui on the recommendation of the National Council and the Missions Council.
16. a) The voting by the National Hui on those staff appointments shall be by secret ballot (with votes cast either in person or electronically)
17. b) The initial term of the appointment shall usually be four years but may be extended by the National Hui on the recommendation of both Councils for one or more further three-year terms.
18. c) In the event of a Senior Staff vacancy, the National Council may make an interim appointment until the next National Hui.
19. All ballots required for elections or special appointments shall be conducted by scrutineers appointed for that purpose by the Chairperson.

Timeline:

• October 2024 – Process to appoint new National Leader began. In October 2024 National Council announced that Charles Hewlett, the current National Leader, would be concluding in October 2025. At this time our churches were invited to feed into the process of finding our next National Leader, as well as pray for the process and the person who will next be called into this role – that God will bring clarity to the appointment process over the next year. Your prayers and input into the process so far have been appreciated – so much work has been done, including a review of the National Leader role over summer where expectations, skills and qualities were investigated. An invitation to participate in this process was given in December – we’re thankful to those who helped with this.
• April 2025 – Search team was established by the National Council. In April the National Council appointed the members of the search team to represent the movement alongside the initiation of a season of prayer, discernment, and trusting God’s perfect plan. National Council shared this with us at that time: “We recognise the importance of choosing someone who listens to God, discerns His will, engages theologically, and remains faithful to biblical truth. This is a pivotal time for our churches, and we invite all churches to unite in seeking the Lord’s wisdom and direction.” We prayed together as a movement of churches. The role of this panel was to prayerfully receive National Leader applications, run interviews and then present to the National Council and Mission Council a name for consideration. This panel had a significant part in the discernment process alongside the prayer and input from individuals and churches. Members of the search team included:
  • Ruby Duncan, Convenor, Chair of Mission Council, Mission Council representative on National Council.
  • Eduardo Mendonca, Pastor of New Generation Church in Christchurch, member of Mission Council.
  • Elliot Rice, Co-Pastor of Wellington Central Baptist Church.
  • Sarah Beisley, member of Paeroa Baptist Church, member of National Council, previously served with Arotahi in Calcutta.
  • Daniel Choi, Pastor of Epsom Baptist Church.
  • Arnie Hall, Pastor of Nelson Baptist Church, previously Pastor of Manukau City Baptist Church.
  • Rangiaruaru Hema, member of Long Bay Baptist Church, member of Te Whāriki, Te Whāriki representative on National Council, previously Operations and Finance Director at the Baptist National Support Centre.
• May 2025 – Expressions of interest were called and the role was advertised globally. We were blessed with a good number of exceptional candidates.
• July 2025 – Interviews happened through July by the search group – on our behalf.
• August 2025 – National Council received a recommendation from the search team. At the 2 August National Council meeting Chris Chamberlain’s name was given as the person the search group had discerned on our behalf to put forward to the churches for the next stage of the process – which would be concluded by a vote by National Hui delegates on 6/7 November. In August various groups were involved in the process, including Mission Council, who together with National Council are now pleased to put forward the nomination of Chris Chamberlain for National Leader to the churches.
• September and October 2025 – The discernment process continues. Over the next two months our councils ask the churches to continue in the discernment process by specifically praying and discussing locally the nomination of Chris Chamberlain, starting with sharing the information below about Chris in ways you normally would in these situations. Please keep a look out for details about online and in-person engagement opportunities you and groups such as Elders can have as part of this process.
• November 2025 – voting at National Hui.

It is important that local churches seek together from Christ either a collective ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to vote in the recommendation made by the National Council and Mission Council as the next National Leader at the National Hui in November.

Voting in this sense doesn’t carry the same connotations as a democratic vote. In a democratic society, we exercise our right to vote. In this context, as Baptists, rather than a democracy, we have a ‘Christocracy’ where we humbly and carefully express our sense as to what Jesus wants.

Every Baptist church in the Union has at least three voting delegates allowed at National Hui (6-8 November) – either in-person or for the first time this year we have virtual Hui registrations and these can include voting delegates. The number of voting delegates for each church is dependent on the size of the church membership – as listed in the annual church statistic returns.

The Baptist Union Constitution does not define the percentage of Hui delegate votes for this appointment, therefore the election threshold will be 51%.

If the threshold is met, the new National Leader will be appointed. If the threshold is not reached and we have truly discerned the mind of Christ, then we trust that God is at work, and we then take a deep breath, and make a plan for what comes next.

Baptist theologian Paul S. Fiddes (in Tracks and Traces – Baptist Identity in Church and Theology, p84-88) links discernment with being a covenant people who are charged with “watching over one another” and notes how this uniquely influences Baptists when meeting and voting. In the local church context discernment means the members being informed, being in prayer, and responding as Christ might lead.

Another Baptist theologian, Stephen Holmes says: “The practice of church meeting is not democratic… because the task of all present is not to express a preference, still less gain a majority, but to discern together the mind of Christ. The church gathers corporately to seek to hear its Lord’s voice and to commit itself to obey what it has heard.” (Baptist Theology pp102).

In this case National Council and Mission Council are asking local churches to seek together from Christ either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to vote for Chris Chamberlain as the next National Leader. Some examples of how this might be done:

• Put this on the agenda of a church Member’s Meeting in the 2 months before National Hui – inform, discuss, pray, and get a sense of how Christ might have your church delegates at Hui respond in the vote (‘yes’ or ‘no’).
• Information about the National Leader appointment recommendation could be added to your church regular prayer diary, with a time of discussion and prayer together in a Sunday church service.
• Church Elders groups/Boards could spend some time in their regular meetings to discuss and pray, seeking input from church members.

We believe God has brought us to this place in the process, and we ask that individuals and local churches continue to pray and participate – leading to the vote of each church’s National Hui delegates in November.

After a robust recruitment process commencing in October 2024, the search committee, National Council, Mission Council (Arotahi), along with endorsement from Te Whāriki, are collectively pleased to present Chris Chamberlain as their recommendation for National Leader.

Chris Chamberlain has been a part of the Baptist Union of New Zealand since 1983, holding various Baptist church pastoral and leadership positions, including National Council Chairperson from 2020 -2023.

Currently the Regional Leader for the Upper South Baptist Association (USBA), Chris has promoted church planting and has been actively involved developing social housing, establishing a USBA scholarship fund for Carey Baptist College students, and overseeing the development of the charitable company Baptist Resources Ltd.

In his role as Senior Pastor from 2008 – 2023  Chris led Oxford Terrace Baptist Church through a series of challenging periods including: the 2011 earthquakes, the Mosque terror attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Chris’ leadership, Oxford Terrace transformed from a traditional church with one minister to thriving as a complex, multi-staffed entity with a strong focus on social enterprise.

Chris says his application for the National Leader Appointment stems from his love of the Baptist churches of New Zealand, their uniqueness, and the opportunities for the future.

“My commitment to the gospel of Jesus is borne out in a love for the Church, especially a Baptist vision of the Church. As Baptists we have a unique history and a way of being the church that can deliver despite challenges; I view this as a strong opportunity for the future of Aotearoa Baptist Churches,” says Chris Chamberlain.

Chris loves to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds. Last year he facilitated the National Hui ‘global night’, which involved a Chin choir (Chin people are from the Chin state of Myanmar), a Chin intercessory prayer session and a multi-ethnic discussion panel.

A Baptist history enthusiast, Chris enjoys discovering more about the movement’s past, and counts among his Baptist heroes radicals like JK Archer (one-time mayor of Christchurch and Baptist pastor), Mike Riddell, “a man who taught me about justice, joy in the face of troubles and prophetic imagination”, and Hopestill Pillow, the unusually named NZBMS missionary from Oxford Terrace Baptist Church to India, who died there and is buried in the same cemetery as Mother Theresa.

As a pastor, Chris loves to preach about Baptist identity, gospel renewal and the power of the Kingdom. You’ll often hear him say, “‘radical’ is in Baptist DNA and God is not finished with us yet.”

Chris is married to Julie, a pastor at Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, and they have three adult children and two grandchildren.

If elected, Chris Chamberlain says he plans to visit different Baptist churches and faith communities across the country in 2026, listen to them and pray with them and try to gain a sense of direction from the movement. When asked about his views on the gospel and gospel renewal, and his vision for the Baptist movement in Aotearoa New Zealand he says:

“When speaking about the gospel, it is very hard to keep it short! But the shortest answer is this: The gospel is the announcement of the Kingship of Jesus. ‘Gospel Renewal’ is about growing in our love for this. I love that the Kingdom is coming, and it creates in me a great sense of anticipation. I’m keen to unpack what that means for us as a movement. Luke 4, 2 Cor 5, and Rev 21:4 all inform my gospel passion.”

You can find out more about Chris by joining one of the online or in-person meet-ups – dates and times are listed below on this page.