Christian Brethren Church of New Zealand

The history of the Brethren movement in New Zealand is unusual in that the schism between the Exclusive Brethren and the Open Brethren effectively occurred much later than elsewhere. The evangelist and hymn-writer James George Deck arrived in New Zealand in 1853 and established the first formal Brethren assembly at Ngātīmoti, near Nelson, on 1 January 1863, although historian Peter Lineham believes that Christians had already been meeting informally on Brethren lines in nearby Motueka for some time.[5] Although he was associated with the Exclusive Brethren of John Nelson Darby, he decided that the schism that had taken place in 1848 was irrelevant to New Zealand.[6] Unlike Darby, he did not believe in maintaining insularity from non-Brethren Christians, and preached in churches of many denominations. He also allowed the New Zealand assemblies a degree of congregational autonomy that was unknown among the Exclusives in the British Isles.[7]

The slow pace of communication between the British Isles and the far-flung colony of New Zealand allowed Deck to operate more or less independently. When his son, John Field Deck returned to England in 1859 to study Medicine, however, and gravitated towards the Open Brethren,[6] Exclusive leaders, including Darby, became concerned. Ship visits to New Zealand became increasingly frequent in the 1860s, and Exclusives back in the British Isles began to hear reports that the New Zealand Brethren were deviating from accepted norms.[8] Consequently, George Wigram, who had a reputation for enforcing discipline among Exclusive Brethren, visited New Zealand from 14 January 1874 to 20 January 1875. This was followed up by a visit by Darby himself later in 1875.[9] The result was a schism not only between different assemblies, but also within many of them. Forced against his will to take sides, Deck remained with the Exclusives, but his family was divided. Many independent assemblies were formed, which gradually coalesced into a network that became known as the Open Brethren.[10]

Meanwhile, Gordon Forlong, a Scottish lawyer turned evangelist who had played a prominent role in the Second Great Awakening in Scotland around 1859-1860 and had subsequently moved to England and founded a large congregation, Talbot Tabernacle, in Notting Hill, London, emigrated to New Zealand in 1876, where he spent the final thirty-two years of his life. Apart from a three-year period (1880-1883) in Dunedin, Forlong based himself in the Whanganui/Manawatu region. Although he did not commit himself exclusively to the Brethren movement, his former steward, James Chrystall helped organize his converts into Brethren assemblies, which expanded from the Whanganui/Manawatu area.[11]

The Brethren in New Zealand have diversified greatly in the last generation. "Gospel Chapels" tend to be conservative; "Gospel Halls" even more so. "Bible Chapels" include both conservative and progressive assemblies, while "Community Churches" (often similar to the Brethren-affiliated "Evangelical Churches" of the United Kingdom) tend to be at the progressive end of the spectrum, often with salaried pastors, women taking an audible part in worship — and sometimes in leadership, and varying degrees of openness to the Charismatic movement. "Bible Churches" tend to embrace many progressive trends, but generally retain a male-only leadership and continue to disassociate themselves from the Charismatic movement. (The terms "conservative" and "progressive" are often informally used to describe the emphasis, or lack of emphasis, that Brethren assemblies and individuals put on matters of doctrine, worship, and church order which distinguish them from other Evangelical Christians).

It is worth noting that although many "Community Churches" and "Bible Churches" in New Zealand are part of the Open Brethren movement, others — such as Mairangi Bay Community Church — are not. This is often seen as one of many signs that the line of demarcation between Brethren assemblies and other independent Evangelical churches is becoming blurred — a situation that some Brethren welcome, and some do not.

As a network rather than an organization, the Christian Brethren Church of New Zealand does not own or run any institutions. There are, however, a number of organizations, trusts, and support agencies that have been set up with the purpose of servicing Brethren (and sometimes like-minded) churches. The following are some of the institutions that are widely supported by Brethren assemblies in New Zealand.

N.B. This is a list of individuals who were part of the Open Brethren movement in New Zealand for at least a part of their lives.

• Enoch Coppin[34] (1896-1975) — evangelist.[35]
• J. Foster Crane[36] (1913-1991)[37] — missionary to Fiji.
• James George Deck (1807-1884) — evangelist and hymn writer. Although generally associated with the Exclusive Brethren, historian Peter Lineham regards him also as the founder of the Open Brethren in New Zealand.[1]
• Gordon Forlong[11] (1819-1908) — Scottish-born New Zealand evangelist.
• Colin Graham — evangelist.
• Joe Hawke[38] — New Zealand MP (New Zealand Labour Party, 1996-2002)
• Ces Hilton — evangelist.
• Owen Jennings — New Zealand MP (ACT New Zealand Party, 1996-2002)
• Robert Laidlaw (1885-1971) — businessman and philanthropist.
• William H. Pettit (1885-1985)[39][40] — medical doctor and missionary.

• Brethren.org.nz Strength and Unity