Overflow

25th Anniversary Memories

Why Multiplication

Commissioning Kōmanawa Wesleyan Church

Youth Alpha Celebration

From the editor

Tēnākoe,Maloelelei,Nisabulavinaka,안녕하세요,Fakaalofalahi atu,Kiaorana,你好,Noa‘ia,Kumusta,Hello!

ThestoryofJoshuaisourstory.Hespentyearsapprenticingto Moses,whenMosesleftthetentofmeetingJoshuastayedbehind. WhereMoseswenthelistened,learnedandthensteppedintothe rolethathehadbeenpreparedfor.

InthelifeoftheChurchtherearemanymomentsintimewhenthese transitionsoccur.Themostfamousrecenteventistheelectionofa newPope.WithinWMCANZwehaveseenchurchessearchingfor thepersonwhowouldtakeovertheministerialroleintheirchurch andotherssendingoutpeopletobeginanewexpressionofchurch. EachofthesemomentscreateanewstoryofhowGodisworking today.

WeseeHischaracterandHisloveaswehearthecalltoloveHim andloveothersaswesharetheGoodNewsandmakedisciples. Therearemanyexpressionsofthesemomentsinthelifeof WMCANZ.Fromthebeginning,25yearsago,therehavebeen encouragingstoriesofcrossings.Wearepleasedtoshare encouragingstoriesagainthismonth.

. Inprayer,

Rev.DeniseBarrington

Why Multiplication

Rev. Brett Jones, National Superintendent

acityand(2)thecontinualcorporaterenewalandrevivaloftheexisting churchesinacity.Nothingelse—notcrusades,outreachprograms,parachurch ministries,growingmegachurches,congregationalconsulting,norchurch renewalprocesses—willhavetheconsistentimpactofdynamic,extensivechurch planting.Thisisaneyebrow-raisingstatement,buttothosewhohavedoneany studyatall,itisnotevencontroversial.

Whataboutatabiblicallevel?

ThebreadthofJesus’GreatCommissioninMatthew28:18-20pointstothe inevitabilityofchurchplanting.TheGreatCommissionissomuchmorethan “makingconverts”-it’saboutawholelotmorethanthat-we’recalledto:

Makedisciples-thisisalongtermcommitmenttotransformationof believers

Baptisepeople-baptismistheriteofentryintothechurchandisalways inthecontextofthelocalcommunityofbelievers

TeachthemtofollowJesus’teaching-theintentionalandaccountable stewardshipofGod’sword

EmbodythepresenceofJesus-inalifestyleofworshipandprayer

Themakingofdisciplesisthetaskofcommunitiesofbelievers-new discipleswillleadtonewchurches.

EverywherePaulwent,heplantedachurch.TypicallyPaulwould targetthelargestcitiesinaregionandthenplantchurchesinthose places.Paulwouldpreachinsynagoguesandthemarketplaces,or sometimesasinPhilippi(Acts16:13)hewouldseekoutcommunities withanopennesstothespiritual.Inhiswake,he’dleavechurchesand appointelderstoshepherdchurchcommunities(Titus1:5)

Sowhatcanwedo?

Herearesomeopportunitiesyouhaverightnow!

Prayfornewchurchplantsaroundthemovementandcelebrate theirprogressaspartofyourchurch’smissionfocus

Waikanae-MattandAngeSwank

KōmanawaWesleyanChurch(Casebrook)-Jennieand AndrewSinclairwhostartedprelaunchserviceson11May

CityCrossLink(Afternoon-Tagalog)-RevRudyardAlejoas theymovetoNewLynnon8June

AlexisNimubona(NorthShore)-preparingtolaunchachurch servingBurundimigrants

Givetochurchplanting-youcouldadoptachurchfinanciallyor

SUNZ Children's Ministry Training

25TH ANNIVERSARY Memories

Rev. Edgar Hornblow

This year as we celebrate 25 years of WMCANZ we are sharing from those who were there in the beginning. We are grateful for the memories that Rev. Edgar Hornblow shared with us earlier this year about those early days.

God is shaking His Church. Dead wood is being pruned. New life is bursting forth. Little did Evangelical Methodists in New Zealand realise they were on the fringe of a world wide reshaping God was doing. In 1974 we gathered at Lausanne, Switzerland for the Congress on Evangelisation. It was a pivotal point when 3,500 Christian world leaders affirmed Billy Graham’s uncompromising call to commit to; 1. The authority of Scripture; 2.the lostness of mankind 3.Salvation by Jesus Christ alone; 4. Faith must have works; 5. The necessity of evangelism. It set a benchmark.

For over 30 years, Evangelicals with the Methodist Revival Fellowship, the Aldersgate Fellowship (1984), AFIRM (1994), pockets of Bible believing congregations, tried to push open the stubborn door of entrenched liberal power controlling NZ Methodism. Samoans were allowed to have their own “Synod” but still under the conference authority.

The Charismatic Movement saw many move to Pentecostal churches. In 1997 the ordination of a homosexual minister was the catalyst to rebirth Wesleyan Methodism. We reclaimed the freedom and enthusiasm that led John Wesley to impact and transform England with the Evangelical Revival.

On the 18th March 2000 at Pakuranga, with Wesleyan representatives from Australia, and USA present, it was agreed to rebirth the Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand and the inaugural Celebration was held at St Anne’s Catholic Church, Manurewa on 2nd July 2000.

We share tremendous gratitude and joy for the new vision, evangelism, gifted leaders, growing Wesleyan congregations, church plants. But sadness for the church we ’ ve left and pray God will bring renewal there too.

COMMISSIONING KŌMANAWA

Rev. Dr Clint Ussher

WESLEYAN CHURCH

Sunday, 4 May 2025, was a significant moment for The Well Church. Instead of gathering at our normal times of 9am & 11am, we gathered all together in one service to mark the moment. It was a moment that, in many ways, was the culmination of months and years of prayerful preparation.

We commissioned and sent a team of 40+ adults and children to plant Kōmanawa Wesleyan Church in Casebrook (north-west Christchurch). This new church is being led by co-pastors Andrew & Jennie Sinclair and supported by Rev. David & Sydney Graham. As they say, we are truly sending some of our best!

Since the inception of The Well Church has been a call to be a church planting church. And while it’s taken longer than initially expected, we are thrilled to see this vision becoming reality… and believe Kōmanawa is the first of many to come!

The Well Church is committed to a vision of making and multiplying disciples, leaders, groups, churches, and networks of churches until we find ourselves swept up in a gospel-multiplication movement. We have invested deeply in presence, formation, mission, and leadership development, believing a multiplying movement will only be sustained as an overflow of a deep and healthy life in and with Jesus.

It was particularly special to have the Kōmanawa pastors and team lead us in receiving Holy Communion as the final act of our worship gathering. This was a wonderful moment of both thanking God for His goodness and faithfulness in bringing us to this point and also an expression of faith-filled expectation for all God is yet to do in and through this new faith community.

YOUTH REVIVALAlpha Celebration!

We’re thrilled to celebrate the success of our Youth Revival Alpha Youth journey!

Over the course, we welcomed 25–35 youth each week, with a core group of 10–15 consistently engaging deeply in discussions about faith and life. We witnessed young people grow in their understanding of God, and some even began exploring baptism — praise God!

Our leaders also developed their facilitation skills, helping create meaningful spaces for youth to be heard and supported. We finished with a joyful celebration, marking the end of an incredible season of learning, friendship, and spiritual growth. Thank you for standing with us in prayer and support — the fruit of this season has been amazing!

Last year we participated in this initiative through a 24-7 prayer roster for WMCANZ. We will be sharing that again closer to the time but we would encourage you to think about how you could encourage participation in this initiative within your own setting.

Here are three ways you can engage with this initiative:

Yourchurchcan prayfor24hours, settingupaprayer roomandjoiningin thisinitiativeby participatingatany pointduringtheten days.

Your church may be large enough or passionate enough to cover the ten days of continuous prayer!

Your church can partner with churches in your city and region or within our denomination/ movement and cover the ten days of continuous prayer together This may look like one centralised prayer room in a town or city or multiple prayer rooms across these ten days. Not only are we praying, but we are gathering in unity together to seek God. For resources and to sign up go to: https://www.247prayer.nz/pentecost-prayer

Event Calendar

Refresh | 24 May

King's Birthday | 2 June

Matariki | 20 June

Pastors Cluster Meeting | 28 June

Donations

We invite you to make donations to the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Aotearoa-New Zealand. Join us to make a difference and reach the lost with the grace and holiness of Jesus Christ. Using the WMCANZ bank account number below, please include your first initial and surname in the particulars field and 'donation' in the reference field.

03-0206-0380248-000

Particulars: e.g. 'J Smith' Reference: e.g. 'Donation' Please email accounts@wesleyan.nz with your details to receive a donation receipt.

Thank you!

Looking for your local Wesleyan Methodist Church? Click here to find your nearest Wesleyan Methodist church. Services are held in English, Fijian, Rotuman and Tongan with several churches using multiple languages in their worship. Scan