Methodist Church of New Zealand

File:Samuel Leigh (cropped).jpg

The Methodist movement was started by John Wesley, an 18th-century Church of England minister. Methodist missionaries were among the earliest Europeans to come to New Zealand. Missionaries Samuel Leigh and William White established the first Wesleyan mission, Wesleydale at Kaeo on the Whangaroa Harbour, on 6 June 1823. Leigh worked alongside Anglican missionary Samuel Marsden.{{cite web|title=Wesleyan mission established|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/wesleyan-mission-established|publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage|access-date=21 August 2017|date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821085250/https://nzhistory.govt.nz/wesleyan-mission-established|archive-date=21 August 2017|url-status=live}}

The Methodist missions in New Zealand and Australia became administratively independent from Britain in 1874. The Annual Conference has always been the governing body of the Methodist Church of New Zealand.{{cite web |title=New Zealand Methodist Conference |url=http://www.methodist.org.nz/conference |website=www.methodist.org.nz |publisher=Methodist Church of New Zealand Te Hāhi Weteriana O Aotearoa|accessdate=31 May 2020}} The New Zealand Church was originally a part of the Methodist Church of Australasia, with the New Zealand annual conference reporting to a triennial Australasian conference. In 1910 the Methodist Church of New Zealand completely separated from Australia.{{cite web |last1=Shoebridge |first1=Tim |title=Methodist Church |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/methodist-church |website=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=15 March 2025 |language=en |date=5 May 2011}}

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Methodist Church, with its emphasis on personal salvation and social responsibility, played an important part in the temperance movement. Methodist youth were encouraged to join the Band of Hope. Methodist minister Leonard Isitt became a full-time temperance campaigner and was elected as a member of parliament. Writer and social reformer Percy Paris became president of the Conference in 1938.{{DNZB|last=Clements|first=Kevin P.|id=3p7|title=Percy Reginald Paris|accessdate=23 April 2017}}

Since the early 1900s the proportion of New Zealanders who are Methodist has declined from 10% to a reported 2.6% in the 2013 census.{{cite web |title=2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity |url=http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-culture-identity/religion.aspx |website=archive.stats.govt.nz |publisher=Statistics New Zealand |accessdate=27 June 2018 |language=en-nz |date=15 April 2014}} At the 1983 conference the church made a conscious decision to work towards inclusion of all ethnicities and cultures.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/methodist-church-of-new-zealand|title=Methodist Church of New Zealand — World Council of Churches|website=www.oikoumene.org|date=January 1948 |language=en|access-date=12 April 2016}} The denomination is supportive of women ministers and clergy in same-sex relationships.{{Cite web|url = http://www.methodist.org.nz/touchstone/lead_articles/2004/august_2004/civil_unions|title = Civil Union Zealand Methodist Same-sex marriage|website = www.methodist.org.nz|access-date = 12 April 2016}} In 1999 the conference decided to allow ministers to bless same-sex relationships.{{cite news |title=New Zealand Church unaffected by US methodist schism over gay marriage |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/406736/new-zealand-church-unaffected-by-us-methodist-schism-over-gay-marriage |access-date=11 October 2021 |work=RNZ |date=6 January 2020 |language=en-nz}} In 2013, when same-sex marriage was legalized in New Zealand congregations that opted to do so were able to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.{{Cite web|url=http://www.baybuzz.co.nz/archives/6830/4/|title=Gay Marriage Coming to the Bay|website=www.baybuzz.co.nz|access-date=11 August 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122053751/http://www.baybuzz.co.nz/archives/6830/4/|archivedate=22 January 2015}}

The World Methodist Council website reports 9,473 Methodist Church members who worship as part of a Methodist Church parish; additionally, a "significant number" of Methodist members worship in churches co-operating with Anglicans and Presbyterians. This membership figure is undated.{{cite web |title=New Zealand, Methodist Church |url=https://worldmethodistcouncil.org/member-churches/name/new-zealand-methodist-church/ |publisher=World Methodist Council |accessdate=31 May 2020 |date=June 2018}}

The Methodist Church of New Zealand is a member of the World Council of Churches[http://www.oikoumene.org/gr/member-churches/regions/asia/aotearoa-new-zealand/methodist-church-of-new-zealand.html Methodist Church of New Zealand] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405045208/http://www.oikoumene.org/gr/member-churches/regions/asia/aotearoa-new-zealand/methodist-church-of-new-zealand.html |date=5 April 2012 }}, World Council of Churches. and the Christian Conference of Asia. Since 2016 the church has participated in an ecumenical platform, National Dialogue for Christian Unity (NDCU), along with Anglicans and Roman Catholics.{{cite news |title=New Zealand churches open new unity dialogue |url=http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/03/new-zealand-churches-open-new-unity-dialogue.aspx |accessdate=27 June 2018 |work=www.anglicannews.org |date=7 March 2016 |language=en-gb}}

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• {{official|http://www.methodist.org.nz/}}
• [https://teara.govt.nz/en/methodist-church Methodist Church] – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Category:Methodist denominations

Category:Methodism in New Zealand

Category:Members of the World Council of Churches

Category:Organisations based in Christchurch

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