On the first Sunday in May 1909 the pastor of Napier Baptist Church (J.K. Archer) journeyed across to Hastings with about 35 members of his congregation. That Sunday afternoon they gathered with about 35 Baptists living in Hastings to hold the first public service of what has now become Hastings Baptist Church. They used hymn books donated by Wellington Central (then Vivian Street) and distributed tracts on baptism produced by Rev. A. North. This was the beginning of a distinctly Baptist work in Hastings.
One hundred years later, the now six Baptist Churches of Napier and Hastings, joined together for a combined evening service on the first Sunday in May 2009.
During the service we heard from each of the churches. Val McNatty, co-pastor of Pirimai Baptist, shared the church planting story of Pirimai Baptist from beginning in her lounge 26 years ago with three families on to the present location in a refurbished supermarket at Pirimai Plaza. The new pastor of the Chinese Christian Baptist Church, Stephen Yong, was introduced and interviewed by Mike Wilson, pastor of Pirimai Baptist.
Both Village and Napier Baptist churches are currently without a pastor but are both moving forward. Village Baptist has plans underway to move out of a school hall into itsown building over the coming year. Napier Baptist is on-track in developing and strengthening its community engagement in Marewa, an area of need right on their doorstep. As an expression of our shared unity in Christian mission and as partners in the Baptist Union we shared in the Lord’s Supper led by Andrew Reyngoud - who also brought an encouraging word about the progress of Flaxmere Baptist.
Our guest speaker for the evening, Rodney Macann, brought a message of challenge from episodes in the life of Peter.
Paul Davison, the current pastor at Hastings, said that the launch of Hastings Baptist is a story of mission. The genesis of the work was a regular prayer meeting with the clear intention of starting a Baptist work. With the encouragement of the Baptist Union and help from Napier, the church began and grew. Eight months later the church was formally constituted with 28 members. The first pastor (H.B. Hughes) was called and commenced his service in February 1910. With some financial help from Baptist churches around New Zealand, land was purchased and a building erected and opened for worship by June 1910. This was followed by the immediate establishment of a Sunday School. Within five years the church outgrew the building and it had to be extended to accommodate new growth.
The earthquake of 1931 remains alive in the memories of some of the church’s current members. The minister at the time (Ernest Nicholls) wrote in the NZ Baptist of the devastation experienced by Hastings and Napier. He also tells the story of how his wife escaped from the manse as the chimney collapsed, with the falling bricks getting close enough to break the heel off her shoe as she ran. Their daughter, Delcie Paynter, at 95 years of age, is still regularly attending our church.
During the 1950s the church ballooned in size as the population in Hastings swelled. A scan of the cradle roll during these years confirms that there really was a baby boom with 1950 to 1964 averaging 15 new babies every year! With the church growing by 50% the present auditorium was built in 1964. More building additions came in the late 1980s.
But the aim of those founding members in establishing a Baptist church in Hastings was not the institution and its buildings; their aim was people and gospel mission. Over the one hundred years approximately 1,000 people have been baptised – many of these came from amongst the ranks of those who grew up in the church going on to make their own declaration of faith, as well as people who were won to Christ through the ministry of the church. Beyond that, a church planting work began in Flaxmere in 1980 and was significantly connected to, and financially supported by, the Hastings Church over the next 20 years. Another church planting mission was started in 1985 with a number of families being commissioned to plant what would become Village Baptist in Havelock North. The next hundred years for Hastings Baptist (excepting the Lord’s return) should also be aimed at people and mission.
A highlight of the coming year will be our centennial celebration over Labour Weekend (24-26 October 2009). We hope that the holiday weekend will allow more people to come for the time of reunion, remembering and rejoicing at what the Lord has accomplished through Hastings Baptist Church over this last century. Preparations are being made to reunite with past members and friends, so those interested in being at that weekend are encouraged to register their interest with the church by phone (06) 878 7844; post: PO Box 1309 Hastings; or email:
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