HUI 2022

When was the last time New Zealand Baptists wept?Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition for sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews12:1-3Presented by:Charles HewlettI love Jesus. I love the Bible. I love the Gospel. I love the Church. And I love Mission.My number one task is to keep the eyes of New Zealand Baptist's firmly fixed on Jesus. It is his words that we must listen to the most. He will show us what our priorities must be, how to treat one another and how to live in our neighbourhoods. It is the power of his Gospel that will bring renewal to people and places.While my leadership philosophy comes from the Bible verse, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love", I have been mostly shaped in my own leadership by people with severe intellectual and physical disability. My daughter was born with inoperable brain cancer. Despite living until she was 13 her life was marked out by much suffering. And my 28-year-old son lives with the cognitive abilities of a 9-month-old baby. Prior to becoming National Leader, I spent 13 years on the staff at Carey Baptist College, 8 of these as Principal.Kathryn HeslopKathryn is married to Scott and together they have three children aged 13, 11 and 9. Kathryn works for the National Support Centre as Executive Advisor. Her role is focused on supporting our National Leader, Charles Hewlett, assisting him with his strategic priorities to see his vision for the Baptist Churches of NZ achieved. Kathryn also manages the Complaints Process, supporting the local church to handle complaints, disclosures or allegations well, ensuring good process is enacted and that the right expertise is provided to support and guide the local church in the handling of such matters."I love my role. Charles is an incredible leader and it is an honour to work alongside him. I love the amazing and inspiring people that we work with - both in the office and across our movement - we are so incredibly blessed! I believe the Baptist way of doing church is gold - I love that the gathered body of believers are encouraged to discern the mind of Christ together. I love that our small team exists to support the local church, seeing Baptist churches across Aotearoa NZ bring gospel renewal to their communities - this is what we are about!"

Why is it worth giving your life to Christian ministry? Presented by John Tucker. As Principal of Carey Baptist College, John leads the college. With the senior management team, he is responsible for setting Carey's strategic direction, protecting Carey's culture, nurturing Carey's staff team, and representing Carey among churches and stakeholders. John also teaches history and homiletics in Carey's undergraduate programmes.John began his working life as a lawyer, practicing in the area of civil litigation. After several years in pastoral ministry, John completed a PhD in the history of the New Zealand church's engagement in public debate. He has published books and articles in the areas of preaching, Baptist history, and Christian engagement with social issues."I love working in a theological college that is so focused on serving the church, so committed to training leaders for ministry, so oriented towards mission and gospel renewal. I believe deeply in Carey's integrative approach to theology and in our relational approach to learning. I really enjoy Carey's rich community life and the Tiriti hikoi that is shaping us into a learning community where students from all cultures can flourish. And I marvel at the remarkable staff team that God has assembled at Carey. It's such a privilege to work with them as we see students transformed by the gospel, for the gospel."

"This is what the Lord says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."Isaiah 43:16-21Presented by Matt and Rachel RenataMatt & Rach were born and raised in Te Upoko o te Ika (Wellington) and have been married for 6 years. Rach grew up in Kāpiti and is Ngā Puhi, Japanese and Pākehā. She works for the Inzone Education Foundation and is passionate about people discovering their own awesomeness. Matt grew up in Te Awakairangi (Lower Hutt) and is of Māori and Gujarati descent. Matt has been involved in the youth and community development sector for the past 14 years and co-founded "Te Awakairangi Youth Development Network", and now works as the Kaiāwhina for World Vision Aotearoa."We moved to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2019 to study for a Bachelor’s in Theology, a Diploma in Māori Pastoral Leadership, and a Diploma in Te Reo Māori through Carey, Laidlaw, and Takiura. We’ve spent a lot of time seeking God’s redemptive plan for Aotearoa connected to Isaiah 43:16-21, and a large part of that was fuelled by supporting the whānau through the Protect Ihumātao kaupapa in karakia and whakamoemiti."

Young people want to belong; in what ways do you think our churches help and hinder this belonging?"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."John 13:34-35Presented by Sam KilpatrickSam has been at Carey since 2010 and has held various roles during that time with engagement in youth ministry, events and marketing, and our community life as a college. Sam now focuses on training our youth pastoral leadership students, teaching in undergraduate courses, and playing a key role in our Ministry Training Department. Over the years Sam has been involved in several Baptist churches, both as a volunteer and on pastoral staff teams. Sam has a deep love for the local church and ministry with young people. His work at Carey helps to combine this passion for the church with his skills and experience in supporting students into their calling for ministry. Sam is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry through Fuller Theological Seminary."I really enjoy working at Carey, it is a place that seeks the transformation of lives through the renewing of minds, reorienting of hearts, and the upskilling of hands!" 

How do we best pass on the leadership baton?"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set and example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."1 Timothy 4:12-16Presented by:Hannah Cossey, Regional Young Adults CoachI love God and I'm totally sold on that. I was in youth ministry before stepping into my current role. I'm really big on embracing simplicity. I'm on a totally rad adventure at the moment living out of a van. I seek out challenge, I love fun and I totally dig good rest.Jonathan Edmeades, Interim Lead Pastor, Henderson Baptist ChurchJono will shortly be getting married to the lovely Gabby and heading off to the sunny Bay of Plenty, where he will join the team at Whakatāne Baptist. He loves Jesus, a round of golf and journeying alongside others in figuring out their part in the mission of God.Eduardo Mendonca, Pastor, New Generation ChurchI am Eduardo Mendonca, born in Brazil and living in NZ for 15+ years. I love our Lord Jesus Christ above everything, and I love my beautiful family, who supports me and is involved 100% in my pastoral ministry at New Generation Church. I'm passionate about the Word of God and love sharing it with others.Tanya Lameta, Pasifika student support, Carey Baptist CollegeTanya, NZ born Samoan, currently works in the support team at Carey while studying a Masters degree in Counselling and Education. Together with her husband, they are senior pastors of Hosanna Lighthouse Baptist located in South Auckland. Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world and Tanya is passionate about Pasifika people and their role in the mission of God in Aotearoa.

The Spirit God is at work among the marginalised in our local neighbourhoods. What keeps us from seeing how the marginalised are both recipients of and participants in God's mission? How can Baptist faith communities join in God's mission on the margins?The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who morn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.Isaiah 61:1-4Presented by Michael RhodesMichael started at Carey in 2021. He teaches Carey's undergraduate Old Testament courses and also co-teaches courses in the postgraduate program and supervises MA theses. Michael holds a PhD in Divinity from the University of Aberdeen/Trinity College Bristol. His dissertation explored the Deuteronomic tithe meal and Corinthian Lord's Supper served as morally transformative feasts that shaped the community for holiness, justice, mercy, and solidarity. Prior to coming to Carey, Michael spent 7 years working for Christian community development programs, first in Kenya, and then in the economically impoverished South Memphis community where his family lives. In addition to this extensive community development experience, he has also been involved in racially and economically diverse church plants since 2009, and is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Michael's passion is to help the church to hear and respond to God's call in Scripture to become a community that embodies Jesus' good news for the poor. As a result, he has studied and published works on economic discipleship, racial justice, and poverty in Scripture, at both the academic and popular level. "I think the Old Testament is absolutely mesmerising, and I love wrestling with it together with others. So the opportunity to join students in reading the Bible as God's address summoning us to an intimate relationship with him and a life of kingdom engagement in the world is just incredible."