Christianity in New Zealand
Christianity in New Zealand dates to the arrival of missionaries from the Church Missionary Society who were welcomed onto the beach at Rangihoua Bay in December 1814. It soon became the predominant belief amongst the indigenous people, with over half of Māori regularly attending church services within the first 30 years. Christianity remains New Zealand's largest religious group, but no one denomination is dominant and there is no official state church. According to the 2018 census 37.3% of the population identified as Christian.[1] The largest Christian groups are Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian. Christian organisations are the leading non-government providers of social services in New Zealand.[2][3]
Modernist Futuna Chapel in Wellington
The Gothic Revival façade of Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Dunedin
2021 COVID-19 Church Responses[edit]
In November 2021, the New Zealand government announced that New Zealand will head into a traffic light system.[59] This meant that New Zealand churches had to choose between having a smaller congregation of both unvaccinated and vaccinated members attend or the alternative of an unlimited amount of attendees that provided a vaccination pass.[60] Many churches like Auckland's Life Church, Wellington's Arise Church and Christchurch's Harmony Church[61] opted to take their ministry online over the Christmas period.[62]
Controversy[edit]
In 1967, Presbyterian minister and theologian Lloyd Geering was the subject of one of the few heresy trials of the 20th century, with a judgement that no doctrinal error had been proved. The Catholic Church in New Zealand had a number of its priests convicted of child sexual abuse, notably at Marylands School. Newspapers have also reported child sex abuse cases within the Exclusive Brethren.[82]
According to a 2019 survey, nearly four in ten New Zealanders lacked trust in Evangelical churches.[83]