Evangelism Academic Conference

Twelve Things to Consider to Get Us Out of the Polarization Cul de Sac I will discuss 12 things to be aware of that contribute to polarization with neighbors who do not believe. We may not be able to stop the polarization, but we can work to not contribute to it. How can we share Christ and be inviting to those around us?

Rev Dr Mark J. Keown Director of Evangelistic Leadership Laidlaw College

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Henare Whaanga Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa Abstract This paper proposes an examination of Te Pā Kaha, a Māori‑informed apologetics and evangelism framework designed to strengthen Gospel proclamation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Pā Kaha applies worldview analysis through a distinctly local lens, recognising that every person stands within a pā of inherited beliefs, cultural commitments, and spiritual assumptions. By tracing these foundations, the framework brings about genuine clash between the Gospel and alternative systems. Enabling clearer, more faithful evangelistic engagements addressing the heart of the issue. Te Pā Kaha contributes to the “Evangelisation of Aotearoa New Zealand and the World” by offering a model that is both contextually grounded and globally relevant. It draws on contemporary scholarship and practitioners in worldview analysis, decolonisation discourse, Māori theology, and presuppositional apologetics to articulate how the Gospel can be communicated with clarity, integrity, and cultural intelligence. So what? In a time when many New Zealanders—especially Māori—are reclaiming indigenous identity frameworks, traditional evangelistic methods often fail to address the real questions and objections beneath the surface. Te Pā Kaha equips the church to engage these deeper foundations, ensuring the Gospel is neither misunderstood nor domesticated but heard in its full, transformative power.

Peter Lineham MNZM "Emeritus Professor of History, Massey University". Abstract This paper seeks to clarify just how open New Zealand society is to Christian evangelism, and how ready the churches are to absorb people who may be exploring faith. It contrasts the traditions of evangelism in the past, with the contemporary context, noting that a serious issue is the retention of new believers. It also probes claims of ‘quiet revival’. A particular focus is on those forms of faith – notably Catholic and Pentecostal churches – and of outreach to particular age-groups, particularly teenagers and younger adults. Some reflections are provided as to why New Zealand may be less receptive than some other western cultures.

Kevin Wood (MTh) Church Movements, Tandem Ministries Abstract Over the last 60 years, the percentage of the population claiming to be Christian has dropped from 90.4% (in 1961) to 34% (in 2023). Over the same period, those claiming to have no religion have grown from 1.4% to 53%. My Masters’ thesis examined the journeys of eight church leaders (two couples and four singles) who started or joined mission-focused communities. The purpose of this research was to discover what the leaders’ journeys say about the church and mission in NZ. What motivated them? What shape did these churches take? What practices did they hold valuable? And what can we learn from them to help us share the gospel of Jesus Christ in NZ Aotearoa in 2026 and beyond? My methodology is qualitative research with thematic analysis.

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Dr Mark Nichols Executive Director, Learning Design & Development Executive Open Polytechnic NZ Abstract Traditional evangelistic tools such as “The Romans Road” and the “Four Spiritual Laws” frame the gospel as a set of propositions aimed at individual conversion. Recent scholarship challenges this approach, advocating rediscovery of the kingdom-centred message that proclaims Jesus’ reign. This paper argues that the conversionist model should give way to the narrative of the King Jesus gospel, the euangelion. The discussion begins with euangelion as a New Testament term, focused on the new contemporary reality brought about by Jesus. The euangelion is the centrepiece of Jesus’ mission, the purpose for the Great Commission, and the central motivation of the Apostle Paul. Contrasting the Romans Road with the King Jesus gospel reveals several implicit differences in matters including discipleship, church membership, and the nature of salvation. The paper also considers how the message shapes the method. Evangelism is the good news of a new King and the summons to align with that reality through metanoia. “Accepting Jesus into my heart” becomes, instead, “Jesus is Lord of all, and he calls me by his mercy.” Such allegiance renders the gospel a profoundly theopolitical announcement.

Rev Louise Wernich (MTh, MBA) Laidlaw College and Centre for Church Leadership. Abstract The 2023 Church Life Survey showed that 40% of church attendees in New Zealand were born overseas (McDonald et al., 2023). Religion and belonging to a church are often central to an immigrant’s personal and communal identity, and the process of immigration can be considered a “theologizing” experience (Smith, 1978; Stepick et al., 2009; Winbush & Selby, 2015). Many first-generation immigrants therefore choose to join churches that align with their home language and culture. However, second-generation immigrants often assimilate into New Zealand and then face challenges related to participating in the life of the churches of their parents. The result is what scholars call “the silent exodus” where second-generation immigrants are leaving transplanted churches en masse (Deressa, 2022). This is a missed evangelistic opportunity because these bi-cultural second-generation immigrants have a unique missional position within the churches of Aotearoa. This paper is based on qualitative thematic analysis research on primary data gathered through semi-structured interviews for my MBA dissertation titled Challenges in Leading and Managing Religious Volunteers Across Cultures: A Study of Afrikaans Churches Operating in Auckland. This paper highlights how things like leadership style, organisational structure, and communication create challenges for second-generation immigrants. It also outlines a few practical steps that churches can take to mitigate the “silent exodus” of the second-generation immigrants.

Dave Mann Shining Lights Trust Abstract Conversational research conducted in 2016–17 with long-term pastors across 60 NZ locations confirmed a 65–75% decline in church youth ministry attendance over the prior two decades. Subsequent initiatives sought to address the most significant identified gaps first – but then reached for a milestone outcome: the uniting of NZ's denominational youth representatives and leaders of 10 national youth outreach organisations into what became the Youth Leaders Round Table, now united around a common vision that every young person growing up in NZ will again hear of Jesus. In 2025, the Shining Lights Trust carried out research on behalf of the Youth Leaders Round Table, identifying and measuring four primary gaps in NZ youth ministry outreach in the areas of: 1. Outreach equipping 2. The unity of youth leaders 3. The unity of Christian youth in schools 4. United gospel events This presentation will share a summary of that data, evidencing each gap alongside proposed action steps that this national leadership group is considering to collectively shift the trajectory of youth outreach in NZ.

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Rev Dr Malcolm Falloon Associate National Director of the New Zealand Christian Network Abstract This paper addresses the problem of defining “conversion” within academic discourse, drawing on a historical case study of Māori conversion to Christianity in early nineteenth-century Aotearoa New Zealand. While scholarly treatments have often oscillated between reductionist social explanations and overly individualistic models, this study argues for a more integrated, descriptive approach. Building on my doctoral research, I propose a definition of conversion as a process of religious reorientation involving interrelated changes in belief, identity, and practice. Using archival evidence from early Māori converts, the paper demonstrates that conversion was neither a simple rupture with the past nor mere cultural assimilation, but a dynamic, contextual process shaped by indigenous agency. Particular attention is given to how Māori appropriated Christian ideas in ways that were continuous with existing cultural frameworks while also generating new forms of communal life. By clarifying the concept of conversion, this paper contributes to evangelistic research by offering a more nuanced framework for understanding how religious change occurs in cross-cultural contexts. Such a framework has contemporary relevance to evangelism in Aotearoa New Zealand, where questions of belief, identity, and practice remain central to communicating the Christian message.

How to Have Difficult Conversations Christians often find themselves in conversations where disagreement is a given. How do conversations work relationally? What things do we do that damage conversations? What can contribute to them so they are conversations and not merely a deterioration into harsh debate? This study will consider how to engage more fruitfully with others who start froma different place than you.

This will be at your own expense but if you would like to come please email mkeown@laidlaw.ac.nz