Who We Are
We are a diverse people from Blockhouse Bay and surrounding areas. We belong to the Baptist Union of NZ and have interdenominational roots from our founding days over a hundred years ago*. We have 3rd generation members and people who are 3 months new. We continue to welcome the diversity that is embracing Auckland and NZ. We are a church involved with our local community through service and partnerships. As a church, we offer opportunities for all ages to know the hope that comes from the good news of Jesus.
Why We Are Here
Blockhouse Bay Baptist is a church being and becoming a Christ-like community of Hope for the benefit of the Bay and beyond.
Jesus was and remains a most challenging figure in the history of humanity. His life and teaching demand sustained reflection and his sacrificial death stands as a witness to his love for a lost and confused world. For followers of Jesus, his resurrection demonstrates his power over death and offers Hope that he is the One True King over this world. The way Jesus lived and taught offers Hope for a different kind of life. It is this Hope that we as a church strive to know, celebrate, live, and share for the joy of all.
Becoming this Community of Hope
Although we will never be like Jesus, we aim to become a community of Hope through:
Worship - spending time celebrating God
Connection - Committing to Jesus and the community he creates
Transformation - Maturing in what we believe, how we behave, and ways to meet with God
Service - Seeking to benefit our local & global community through justice, mercy and mission
Like anything we endeavour to learn, we take steps to grow and be competent. Living to follow Jesus in word and deed is no different. These four areas form the basic practices we, as a church, are attempting to learn to gain greater levels of Christian maturity. The Hope Jesus offers changes the way we look and live in this world. Join us to find out more.
“In the essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in everything, charity.”
Martin Luther
What We Believe
As a church, we believe the following:
The inspiration of the Bible and its authority in all matters of faith and practice.
The fullness of deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The atonement made on the Cross by our Lord for the sin of the world. The bodily resurrection of Christ, His ascension into heaven and His promised second coming to earth.
Salvation, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
The indwelling presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and the church, empowering and imparting spiritual gifts.
Membership of the church being for those who have received salvation.
This is a brief summary of our beliefs and much more could be said about each element. Holding to a concise statement of faith allows for the variety of people God draws into our fellowship and enables room for people and the church to grow and develop in their understanding of God without having to rewrite the constitution each time.
It also reminds us that we may believe many things, but only a few are truly central. A good saying to live by when thinking about the variety of Christian beliefs is:
“In the essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in everything, charity.” Martin Luther.
Beliefs and Being Baptist
The many different Christian traditions and church denominations can be a bit confusing. As a church, we are in fellowship with other Christian groups and recognise that we have as much in common with them as differences. As a local church, we enjoy serving together with the churches of Blockhouse Bay (Anglican, Presbyterian, Community, and Catholic) for the benefit of our entire community. Many in our church family come from various traditions and simply worship with us because they have made their home here. Many in our community find value in identifying as “Baptist” as this gives guidance in how we practice our faith. This is OK as long as we remember to be Christian first!
So what are some key features of being Baptist?
1. Freedom of Conscience
Historically, Baptist churches arose out of times of religious persecution by various states in Europe. Baptists have always advocated for a separation between religion and secular power so that people have freedom of conscience to worship God.
2. Believer’s Baptism
An obvious way that our emphasis on freedom of conscience is worked out is that we do not baptise infants; we believe baptism should be reserved for those who can choose it and is not given for those unable to choose. We also prefer to baptise by immersion in water, believing full immersion of a believer is a more accurate reading of Scripture regarding forms of baptism (the word baptism means “immersion). And that is why we have the name “Baptists.”
3. Autonomous Churches and Congregational Government
Baptist churches are not a true denomination because every baptist church is autonomous, which means it governs its own affairs. There is no hierarchy or other structure over the church to control it. Most baptist churches in NZ are part of the Baptist Union, which is a network that exists to support, resource and encourage Baptist churches. These autonomous churches are ultimately governed by Jesus, who works through the members of the congregation - followers of Jesus who have committed to being a part of the church and who support its ministry. These members meet during the year to entrust leadership with responsibilities of oversight, discern God’s will for the church’s future, and celebrate God’s work through the life of the church.
Baptists are also often known for a strong emphasis on Bible teaching and evangelism. These are excellent traits to have but are not distinctly Baptist traits as many other churches have them also.
To learn more about our Baptist family, follow the links below:
Baptist Union: https://www.baptist.org.nz/
Baptist Magazine: https://baptistmag.org.nz/
NZ Baptist Mission Society: https://www.nzbms.org.nz/
*Blockhouse Bay Baptist began over 100 years ago as the Green Bay Mission. Its founders represented various denominations and agreed to work in unity. The mission at the time respected alternative views on baptism. When the mission agreed to affiliate with the Baptist family, it agreed to hold an open view in regards to baptism. That means we encourage all to be baptised as believers by immersion but recognise baptism as practiced in other denominations.