The Baptist family of New Zealand churches is a network of 240 congregations who share common beliefs and practices. At the heart of Baptist life are two principles: worship - the honouring of God, and mission - the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Baptists believe the message of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is truly good news that needs to be heard. They place a high value on speaking out this message in word and deed. New Zealand Baptists look back to the English Separatists of the sixteenth century for their evangelical values and collaborative polity. However Baptist denominational structure is informal and Baptist churches spread around New Zealand are free to determine the best way to fulfil the mission of God in their own context. The Baptist Union is a network of mutually supportive churches overseeing congregations, social initiatives and missionary endeavours. These programmes impact lives of all ages, ethnicities and social groupings in New Zealand and beyond. Over 33,000 adults, 7000 children and almost 5000 teens attend a New Zealand Baptist church (2015 statistics).
Baptist Churches of New Zealand