Baptist Churches of New Zealand
Baptist Churches of New Zealand | |
---|---|
Te Hāhi Iriiri o Aotearoa | |
Classification | Evangelical Christianity |
Theology | Baptist |
Associations | Baptist World Alliance |
Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
Origin | 1882 |
Congregations | 240 |
Members | 20,627 |
Seminaries | Carey Baptist College |
Official website | baptist |
The Baptist Churches of New Zealand (
History
Several Baptists settled in New Zealand in the 1840s, but the first Baptist minister,
The Canterbury Baptist Association was formed in 1874. This association started the New Zealand Baptist magazine, which has been published monthly since January 1881. The Baptist Union of New Zealand was formed at Wellington in October 1882.
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 240 churches and 20,627 members.[4]
Beliefs
Theologically, the Baptist Union member churches are deeply influenced by the
Schools
The Union supports education through Carey Baptist College in Penrose, Auckland, and Te Whare Amorangi, designed for Māori men and women, in Papatoetoe, Auckland.[6] The Baptist National Centre is the registered office of the Baptist Union of New Zealand, the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society and Baptist Care Limited, and is located in Penrose.
Prominent New Zealand Baptists
- Decimus Dolamore - first Baptist minister in New Zealand
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
- Charles Dallaston - "the Father of the Baptist Union"
- John James North - the first principal of the New Zealand Baptist Theological College
- Hopestill Pillow - Baptist Missionary in the Zenana Missions to India.
- Charles Henry Carter (29 October 1828 – 6 July 1914) - a Baptist missionary to Ceylon. Literary Works - Translations. Carter translated directly from the Greek and Hebrew texts, rather than the English. The Sinhalese work was done in vernacular language, that it could embody the message in a dialect that was understood by the people everywhere. His works include:
- Sinhalese New Testament 1855
- Sinhalese Book of Psalms 1863
- Sinhalese Old Testament 1869
- English – Sinhalese Dictionary 1881
- Sinhalese – English Dictionary 1889
Towards the end of his life, Carter became Pastor of the Ponsonby Baptist Church in New Zealand. He was the first president of the Baptist Union of New Zealand. Bishop Coppelstone, Anglican Primate of India is said to have described Carter as the "foremost Sinhalese scholar of this age".[7][8][9][10]
See also
- Bible
- Born again
- Baptist beliefs
- Worship service (evangelicalism)
- Jesus Christ
- Believers' Church
References
- ^ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 294
- ^ "About us". Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
- ^ William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 412
- ^ Baptist World Alliance, Members, baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023
- ^ Tucker, John (October 2007). "Heads in the Sand: New Zealand Baptists and the Tour Debate" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 412
- ^ Charles Carter. A Sinhalese-English dictionary. Colombo: The "Ceylon Observer" Printing Works; London: Probsthain & Co., 1924
- ISBN 81-206-1174-8.
- ^ New Zealand Baptist 1914, pages 152/3
- ^ Lapham, H.A. Public Speech to Bible Translation Society (NZ) 27 April 1903.
Further reading
- A Handful of Grain: The Centenary History of the Baptist Union of New Zealand (Volumes 1-4), by Paul Tonson, J. Ayson Clifford, G. T. Beilby, & S. L. Edgar
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin Jr.
- The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth