New Life Churches, New Zealand facts for kids

New Life Churches, also known as New Life Churches International, is a Christian church movement in New Zealand. It is part of the Pentecostal faith. Pentecostal churches often focus on a direct, personal experience with God. They believe in spiritual gifts like healing and speaking in tongues.

A Look at Their History

How It All Started (1940s-1960s)

The story of New Life Churches began in the 1940s. Missionaries from overseas, called 'Bethel Temple' missionaries, held special meetings. These meetings led to the start of new churches in New Zealand and Australia.

Some early leaders, like Peter Morrow, went to a Bible college in Sydney in 1951. More outreach events and training happened after 1957 and throughout the 1960s.

In 1960, meetings started in Timaru. This led to the creation of the Timaru New Life Centre. Many outreach campaigns also took place across New Zealand. The first missionaries from this group were sent overseas during this time.

Peter Morrow became a pastor in Christchurch in 1962. His church was then known as the Christchurch Revival Fellowship. By 1964, thirteen local churches had been set up in the South Island. Many churches were also started in the North Island. Bible schools, where people could learn more about the Bible, were opened in Tauranga, Auckland, and Christchurch.

Changes and Growth (1970s-1980s)

In 1975, Shaun Kearney, a pastor from Auckland, helped create the Associated Pentecostal Churches of New Zealand. This was a group that brought different Pentecostal churches together.

In 1978, the Christchurch Revival Fellowship changed its name to the New Life Centre Christchurch. It later became City New Life Church and is now called Majestic Church. This church used to handle the main office work for the New Life Centres of New Zealand. However, it is now an independent church and is no longer part of the New Life Churches movement.

In 1987, about twenty pastors left the New Life Churches group. They preferred a less structured way of working together. These pastors later formed a new group called the South Pacific Fellowship.

The name 'New Life Churches' was officially chosen in 1988. A new way of leading the group was also agreed upon. This included national leaders and regional leaders. The first national leaders were Rob Wheeler from New Zealand and Peter Morrow from Australia. Both were important figures in spreading the 'Latter Rain Revival' in New Zealand. This was a Christian movement focused on spiritual renewal.

Community Involvement

Many churches within the New Life movement became involved in community issues. They spoke out on various social topics important to them. This included discussions around international agreements and local community concerns in the 1980s. They had also been involved in earlier community efforts in the 1970s.

New Life Churches Today

Today, New Life Churches is an international movement. It has churches in Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. Each individual New Life church in New Zealand is independent. This means they make their own decisions and are not directly controlled by a central office. This is a common way for Pentecostal churches to be organized.

See also

• Christian politics in New Zealand