Reformed Churches of New Zealand

Reformed Churches of New Zealand is a Reformed Christian denomination in New Zealand. The denomination is constituted of 22 member churches, the first seven of which were formed in 1953. Total membership as of 2011 stands at 3,291.[1]

Reformed Churches of New Zealand
Classification	Protestant
Theology	Reformed
Polity	Presbyterian
Origin	1953
Congregations	19
Members	3,291
Official website	rcnz.org.nz

Form of doctrine

The doctrine of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand is expressed in the four confessions of faith to which it subscribes. These are the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Belgic Confession (1566), Canons of Dort (1619) (known collectively as the Three Forms of Unity), and the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646). Also recognised are the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed, all of which summarise the churches' doctrines.

The Reformed Churches of New Zealand are one of the few Reformed churches internationally to subscribe to both the Three Forms of Unity (common among Reformed churches with origins in the European continent, especially the Netherlands) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (common among Reformed or Presbyterian churches with origins in the British Isles).

Form of governance

The Reformed Churches of New Zealand hold to the system of Presbyterian church governance. Each church has a ruling Session composed of elders, one of whom is the church’s minister (also known as the teaching elder). Churches which have no minister are said to be vacant. Each church also has deacons who are charged with maintaining the temporal well-being of church members and with alleviating social distress. In larger churches deacons meet in their own Deacons’ Courts, while in smaller churches they meet together with the rest of the Session. Only men are eligible to serve in the offices of minister, elder, and deacon.

Churches belong to one of three regional Presbyteries which meet three times per year to discuss matters of common interest and to provide mutual oversight. Churches also meet in Synod once every three years to discuss matters of joint interest and to manage activities pertaining to the denomination. Rights of appeal to presbytery and synod are available.

Constituent churches

Church	Year Formed	Current Minister
Auckland Presbytery
Reformed Church of Avondale[2]	1964	Andre Holtslag
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bucklands Beach[3]	1953	vacant
Reformed Church of Hamilton[4]	1953	vacant
Reformed Church of Hukanui[5]	2002	Leo de Vos
Reformed Church of the North Shore[6] (including a congregation in Maungakaramea[7])	1980	Daniel Wilson
Reformed Church of Pukekohe[8]	1989	John Haverland, Graeme Zuidema
Wellington Presbytery
Reformed Church of Foxton[9]	1984	vacant
Reformed Church of Hastings[10]	1960	Peter Kloosterman
Reformed Church of Masterton[11]	1987	David Stares
Reformed Church of Palmerston North[12] (including a congregation in New Plymouth[13])	1953	Aaron Warner Joshua Flinn
Reformed Church of Silverstream[14]	1967	Paul Archbald
Reformed Church of Wainuiomata[15]	1975	Pieter van Huyssteen
Reformed Church of Wellington[16]	1953	Ben McDonald
Reformed Church of Whanganui[17]	2016	Hans Vaatstra
South Island Presbytery
Reformed Church of Bishopdale[18]	1982	Andrew de Vries, Reinier Noppers
Reformed Church of Christchurch[19]	1953	David Waldron
Reformed Church of Dovedale[20]	2001	vacant
Reformed Church of Dunedin[21]	1955	Erik Stolte
Reformed Church of Nelson[22]	1953	Braam Jansen van Rensburg
Reformed Church of Oamaru[23]	2013	Sjirk Bajema
Reformed Church of Rangiora[24]	2018	Albert Couperus

Ecumenical contacts

The Reformed Churches of New Zealand is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches. Sister-church relationships are held with churches abroad which hold to similar doctrine and practice.

• Sister churches:
  • Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia
  • Free Reformed Churches of Australia
  • Presbyterian Reformed Church (Australia)
  • Orthodox Presbyterian Church (USA)
  • Canadian and American Reformed Churches
  • United Reformed Churches in North America
  • Reformed Churches in South Africa (Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Africa)
• Sister church (suspended):
  • Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) (Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland [Vrijgemaakt])
• Churches in ecumenical fellowship:
  • Christian Reformed Churches of Australia
• Other churches with which contact is had:
  • Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand

History

Reformed churches have their origins in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the late 1940s a wave of migrants from the Netherlands settling in New Zealand expected to find their spiritual homes in existing churches of Reformed persuasion. Instead they found departures from Reformed doctrine and practice that they could not overlook.[25] Discussions began in Auckland in 1951 with a view to establishing an indigenous Reformed denomination. A minister from the Netherlands, Rev J W Deenick, arrived in 1952 to support the fledgling group. The official establishment of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand took place in 1953 at a synod in Wellington, with churches from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch represented. By the end of that year further churches began meeting in Hamilton, Nelson and Palmerston North, and a former Presbyterian congregation from Howick (now Bucklands Beach) joined. A further 12 member-churches have since been formed.[26]

Worship

The churches hold worship services twice each Sunday and generally on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Ascension Day and New Year's Eve. Preaching from the Bible is the central element of worship. Preaching is by ordained ministers, or alternatively sermons written by an ordained minister may be read by a lay male Session appointee when a minister is not available. Sung praise and corporate prayer are the next most significant elements of worship. The denominational psalter/hymnal, Sing to the Lord, is the main source of hymnody, in which the singing of the Psalms features strongly. Corporate confession of sin and the assurance of God's pardon are an integral part of Sunday morning worship, while in the second service one of the creeds is usually recited in unison.

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper (or Holy Communion) is celebrated at least three-monthly. The sacrament of baptism is administered to new converts and to the infant children of confessing church members.

List of synods

No.	Year	Venue	Moderator and Vice Moderator	Clerks
1	1953	Wellington	R E Dijkstra, Wellington J W Deenick, Auckland	1: A van Gelder
2	1953	Auckland	J W Deenick, Auckland E Dijkstra, Wellington	1: Th Althuis
3	1954	Wellington	E Dijkstra, Wellington J A Scarrow, Bucklands Beach	1: A van Gelder 2: F Channing
4	1955	Auckland	B Boelens, Christchurch J W Deenick, Auckland	1: F Channing 2: P G van Dam
5	1957	Hamilton	J W Deenick, Auckland E Dijkstra, Wellington	1: W In’t Veld 2: J Kleinjan St: F Channing
6	1959	Dunedin	J A Scarrow, Bucklands Beach R J Venema, Dunedin	1: H van der Pols 2: P G van Dam St: F Channing
7	1961	Wellington	R J Venema, Bucklands Beach J W Deenick, Auckland	1: P G van Dam 2: W van Rij St: R J Venema
8	1962	Wellington	S Cooper, Christchurch P H Pellicaan, Dunedin	1: D G Vanderpyl 2: R O Zorn, Hamilton St: R O Zorn, Hamilton
9	1964	Wellington	R O Zorn, Hamilton P van der Schaaf, Christchurch	1: A I de Graaf, Wellington 2: F Channing, Nelson St: R O Zorn, Hamilton
10	1965	Christchurch	G I Williamson, Mangere P H Pellicaan, Dunedin	1: A I de Graaf, Wellington 2: F Channing, Nelson St: R O Zorn, Hamilton
11	1967	Avondale	H L Hoving, Silverstream R O Zorn, Hamilton	1: A I de Graaf, Wellington 2: T E Tyson, Bucklands Beach St: C J Reitsma, Wellington
12	1969	Nelson	C J Reitsma, Wellington T E Tyson, Bucklands Beach	1: D G Vanderpyl 2: F Channing, Nelson St: D G Vanderpyl
13	1971	Wellington	H L Hoving, Silverstream/ Wainuiomata A W Palmer, Mangere	1: W Wiersma, Christchurch 2: F W Kroon, Bucklands Beach St: D G Vanderpyl
14	1974	Silverstream	W Wiersma, Christchurch W A Davies, Bucklands Beach	1: D G Vanderpyl 2: H L Hoving, Invercargill St: D G Vanderpyl
15	1977	Hamilton	G I Williamson, Silverstream A W Palmer, Mangere	1: M Schwarz, Hamilton 2: L Reurich, Hastings St: D G Vanderpyl
16	1980	Palmerston North	M Schwarz, Hamilton J Goris, Avondale	1: J C Williams, Nelson 2: L Reurich, Kerepehi/ Tokoroa St: D G Vanderpyl
17	1983	Christchurch	P D Stadt, Christchurch J E de Graaf, Bishopdale	1: B U Kuipers, Palmerston North 2: C A R Larsen, Dunedin St: D G Vanderpyl
18	1986	Mangere	D J van Garderen, Bishopdale P R Flinn, North Shore	1: B E Hoyt, Silverstream 2: L Draijer, Nelson St: D G Vanderpyl
19	1989	Silverstream	W Wiersma, Hamilton B Kroon, Christchurch	1: J A Haverland, Bucklands Beach 2: D van der Vecht, Avondale St: D G Vanderpyl
20	1992	Bishopdale	W Wiersma, Hamilton J A Haverland, Bishopdale	1: M A Flinn, Pukekohe 2: B E Hoyt, Masterton St: J Ploeg
21	1995	Avondale	J A Haverland, Bishopdale M A Flinn, Pukekohe	1: B E Hoyt, Hastings 2: W Walraven, Silverstream St: J Ploeg
22	1998	Wainuiomata	J A Haverland, Bishopdale G H Milne, Wainuiomata	1: B E Hoyt, Hastings 2: M A Flinn, Pukekohe St: B E Hoyt, Hastings
23	2001	Palmerston North	M A Flinn, Dovedale M A Capill, Bucklands Beach	1: S Bajema, Mangere 2: J van Rensburg, Bucklands Beach St: B E Hoyt, Hastings
24	2002	Christchurch	W Wiersma, Hamilton J A Haverland, Bishopdale	1: B E Hoyt, Hastings 2: W Walraven, Silverstream St: B E Hoyt, Hastings
25	2005	Hamilton	J A Haverland, Pukekohe M A Flinn, Dovedale	1: B E Hoyt, Hastings 2: R de Vries, Christchurch St: B E Hoyt, Hastings
26	2008	Hastings	J H Rogers, North Shore D J van Garderen, Bucklands Beach	1: P van der Wel, Hamilton 2: A Nugteren, Wellington St: B E Hoyt, Hastings
27	2011	Bucklands Beach	B E Hoyt, Dunedin/Oamaru P S Kloosterman, Masterton	1: P van der Wel, Hamilton 2: M R Willemse, Hamilton St: P van der Wel, Hamilton
28	2014	Bishopdale	P S Kloosterman, Masterton R J van Wichen, Bishopdale	1: J D van Dyk, Dunedin 2: M R Willemse, Hamilton St: P van der Wel, Hamilton
29	2016	Pukekohe	P S Kloosterman, Masterton R J van Wichen, Bishopdale	1: J D van Dyk, Dunedin 2: M R Willemse, Hamilton St: P van der Wel, Hamilton
30	2017	Palmerston North	D A Waldron, Christchurch J A Haverland, Pukekohe	1: P van der Wel, Hamilton 2: J D van Dyk, Dunedin St: P van der Wel, Hamilton

Latest synodical appointments

• Standing committees
  • Church Extension Committee
  • Church Order Committee
  • Interchurch Relations Committee
  • Overseas Mission Board
  • National Diaconate Committee
  • National Publishing Committee
  • Remuneration Committee
  • Synodical Interim Committee
  • Hymnal Committee
• Study committees
  • Vicariate Examinations Committee
• Other appointments
  • Stated Clerk
  • Synodical Treasurer
  • Deputies for Students to the Ministry
  • Synodical Archivist
  • Year Book Editor
  • Synodical Liaison to Calvinist Cadet Corps
  • Webmaster

References

1. Yearbook 2011 of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand, May 2011, ISSN 1173-0617
2. Reformed Church of Avondale website
3. Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bucklands Beach website
4. Reformed Church of Hamilton website
5. Reformed Church of Hukanui website
6. Reformed Church of the North Shore website
7. Maungakaramea Reformed Church website
8. Reformed Church of Pukekohe website
9. Reformed Church of Foxton website
10. Reformed Church of Hastings website
11. Reformed Church of Masterton website
12. Reformed Church of Palmerston north website
13. New Plymouth Reformed Church website
14. Reformed Church of Silverstream website
15. Reformed Church of Wainuiomata website
16. Reformed Church of Wellington website
17. Reformed Church of Whanganui website
18. Reformed Church of Bishopdale website
19. Reformed Church of Christchurch website
20. Reformed Church of Dovedale website
21. Reformed Church of Dunedin website
22. Reformed Church of Nelson website
23. Reformed Church of Oamaru website
24. Reformed Church of Rangiora website
25. "Our History". RCNZ. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
26. For more detail see Dick G Vanderpyl's article.

Further reading

• Dirk Vanderpyl (ed) Trust and Obey: A History of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand: Hamilton: Reformed Church Publishing Society: 1994.

External links

• Reformed Churches of New Zealand