Topic: New Zealand Church History: background and beginnings

Instructor:  Rob Harrod
Hosted by:  Grace Baptist Church, Christchurch.

The focus of this session will be on the coming of the Gospel to New Zealand in 1814, and the early decades of labour which followed this. We will first survey some of the significant background events and people which led to the first proclamation of the good news in Aotearoa, before investigating the challenges faced by the early missionaries as they sought to faithfully live and minister God’s Word among the the unreached people here. Then we will explore and marvel at the powerful gospel work done amongst the Maori, where the gospel once again proved to be the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Finally we will seek to draw out some of the helpful lessons from this period for our own lives and ministries in the 21st century.