What's the new National Leader of the Baptist Union of New Zealand been thinking about lately? Find out in this video update from Chris Chamberlain – see the abridged transcript below.
Chris
Greetings, Baptist whānau, from Luke Kaa-Morgan and myself.
We are in Honiara at the moment, and we've been here this week for the Trans-Pacific Baptist Leaders Gathering. There are Baptists from various states in Australia and several Pacific Islands, such as Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Fiji. Several others have sent their apologies and couldn't make it.
We're sharing together in our mutuality as a Baptist family within the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, which is a subset of the Baptist World Alliance.
There are 53 million Baptists around the world, and we're a part of that. It's been a really good time together, and I just wanted to let you know that our family of churches in Aotearoa New Zealand has a wider family that we're a part of.
What has really struck me is learning about the opportunities for partnership with our Baptist family, especially in the Pacific, and connecting with and learning from our Baptist siblings in the big island to the west of us, sometimes known as Australia. We've got a very good relationship with them!
Luke
I think it's great to hear from the diversity of our family. I'm really interested in what's happening among Baptists in the Pacific. I think Tonga is a great news story because of a new initiative there and a pastor who started a church with two families that has now grown to nine families. That's a significant congregation.
Chris
Here in the Solomon Islands, there are 630 churches. It is massive. The Baptist presence in this part of the world is massive, and the need for training is extensive. But there's also so much for us to learn from.
We've got lots of trained people in New Zealand, but here there is a lot of vigour and a lot of joy, and the church is very active in this part of the world.
So, we just wanted to keep in touch and let you know that we're certainly not sunning ourselves on the beach!
Luke
We're very warm, though!
Chris
It does feel a bit like being in an oven with a shower turned on. But God is good, and this is ‘hi’ from us.
See ya.
Read more Together columns from Chris:
Together: week one with Chris | Baptist New Zealand
Together: When children struggle, the Church responds | Baptist New Zealand
Together: The Acts 2 Movement | Baptist New Zealand
Together: Kingdom people | Baptist New Zealand
Together: New Zealand Baptists have been affirming women in church leadership for 50 years
