We are a Christian community seeking to follow Jesus and His call to serve each other and our community. Here’s a bit of background information about us.  We welcome people to join us on this journey.

Our History

Petone Baptist was the first Baptist church to be established in the Hutt Valley, and others were founded from it. We celebrated our centenary in 2003. Over the past hundred years the Petone community has seen lots of changes and developments, and the church has changed with it. In earlier years activities included a sewing guild and Boys’ Brigade. Current programmes include Mainly Music and The Marriage Course.  Check out more of our history.

The most dramatic physical change was when our original building was damaged in the Wahine storm, and had to be demolished. The current building replaced it, and was extended and refurbished in 2000.

What Does the Label “Baptist” Mean?

Baptist churches believe that each person must make their own choice to follow Jesus, and be baptized as a sign of this commitment. We have members who come from many different backgrounds, from Catholic to Brethren to Pentecostal to atheist, but we have chosen to join with other believers here in Petone and share our mission together. We encourage those who have come to faith to demonstrate this through baptism. See the leaflet “Have you been baptized?”

We belong to the Baptist Union of New Zealand, which links and encourages churches, but we are independent and make decisions for our own local church here in Petone.

How We Operate

The members of the church elect a group called the Oversight Team. This group is responsible for the broad direction of the church, and meets regularly with the Senior Pastor. (See the photo board in the auditorium for names and faces or get a head start here)

Steve Worsley, the Senior Pastor, works in conjunction with Team Leaders to lead and grow the church’s ministries. Lorraine Driskel handles our administration, Murray Smith is our Treasurer.

We have several members meetings each year where we share how things are going, and agree on future directions. Anyone involved in the life of the church is welcome to attend. To vote you must be a member.

We encourage everyone involved in our church to become a member. It’s not compulsory, but it’s an encouragement to others to see you making a commitment to be part of our life and mission. Ask for a “Belonging to Petone Baptist” pamphlet, for more information about what’s involved.

Our Programmes

Sunday morning is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Petone Baptist is concerned. Each term we issue a “Connections” sheet with details of church programmes and small groups, and our weekly newsletter gives more details. See the photo board for details of the small group leaders. We’d encourage you to join one. Ask Andrea Bolton – who heads our Inclusion Team – for tips on finding the right place for you.

Contact List

We have a contact list which helps us get in touch with each other. If you would like to add your details to the list, please fill out the form at the Welcome Desk.

Steve Worsley, the Senior Pastor, sends out occasional emails to everyone on the contact list with an email address so if you would like to receive these, please let us know your email address.

Giving to the Church

The money our church needs to support our mission, staff, programmes and facilities come from donations from people who call our church home. We do not expect or ask visitors to contribute.  Many of our regulars find that giving by automatic payment helps them to maintain regular contributions, and forms for this are available from the Welcome Desk.

Others prefer to give through the offering that is taken on Sunday mornings. If you were involved regularly and wished to give this way and still get a tax receipt, ask at the Welcome Desk for an offering number. Envelopes to put your offering in are also available.

Our accounts are audited annually by an independent charted accountant. We’re happy to give you a copy of his audit opinion – just ask.