On the weekend of 18th and 19th August 2018 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Newlands Baptist Church in north Wellington. We wanted to celebrate the milestone and also to honour the founding members who worked hard to establish the church and set it on a good foundation in 1968.

On Saturday afternoon a panel of pastors, past and present—Jim Skett, Dennis Long, Glenn Edmonds, Andrew Riordan and Chris Finlay—shared memories of the church and community. Founding members Eileen Blackburn and Gordon McPherson also recalled the early days. Later Eileen cut a 50th anniversary cake, along with 12-year-old Molly Fraser, representing both the earliest days of Newlands Baptist, and its future.

Chris Lam Sam was MC at the dinner. Chris was a past member of the youth group and is a grandson of one our founding members, Laurie Martin. The evening included a video clip of the 40th anniversary, a quiz and lots of catching up with old friends.

Jim Skett (pastor in the 1970s) preached at the Sunday service. We then shared lunch before saying our farewells. It was a weekend to remember: a time to look back and celebrate, and a time to look forward to the next years of worship and service. 

For Newlands Baptist it is indeed a season of milestones and new beginnings. Having marked the passage of 50 years, we are now getting ready to welcome a new senior pastor and see where God will guide us as we enter a new time in our church life. 

Story: Phil McQueen

Add comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Read More Articles

Good Friday reflections Image
Articles
March 29, 2024 | Tom Cadman & Olwyn Dickson Channel: 2144749

Good Friday reflections

Two brief reflections on this day…

From the President: Madness in March Image
Articles
March 28, 2024 | Susan Osborne Channel: 2144749

From the President: Madness in March

Having decided to visit as many churches and leaders as possible, our Baptist President has had a packed month. She reflects on her time with…

Your faith community needs YOU Image
Articles
March 27, 2024 | Christine Stride Channel: 2144749

Your faith community needs YOU

Do you like to write? Can you capture a story? For nearly 150 years Baptist churches in New Zealand have been sharing articles, stories, news…

';

Privacy Preference Center