About Us

We are a family-friendly and welcoming church community that enjoys growing in our faith in God, doing life together and serving our community.

We are a part of the Baptist Union of New Zealand and a registered charity with the Charities Commission.

Our vision is to be a community that is:
- a safe community for anyone exploring questions of faith or who needs respite from the pressures of life (safe harbour)
- a connected community where people grow in their relationship with God as they grow in their relationships with others (mending the nets)

- a sending community where we go out to serve those we encounter in our day-to-day lives (sending the boats)

Our Team

  • Andrew Baldwin (Community Pastor)

    My focus is on exploring ways that the church can be a connected community that serves the communities that it is connected to. I do this through strategic leadership, teaching, and fostering relationships with other people and groups working in the community. I’m passionate about the local church being an expression of God’s good news that reflects the particular time and place in which it is located.

  • Our Youth Pastor (Vacant)

    Zach Bartley, our previous youth pastor, resigned at the end of 2023. Our youth ministry is currently being overseen by a team of leaders who are continuing to make our youth ministry a safe place for young people to experience the love and acceptance of God.

  • Karen Hodgson (Children's Coordinator)

    Ko Karen ahau. I'm a mother of 3 kids (9, 7, 4) and I co-ordinate the Sunday morning programme for kids. I also work part-time and love our community in Petone. Our goal on Sundays is to build friendships, and explore and wonder about God's love and peace, the Bible, and the beauty in the world He created. We do this mainly through Godly Play stories and activities.

  • Rachel (Administrator)

    The office administrator, I will be on the end of the phone or email to answer your queries. I grew up in the Hutt, lived in Petone and worked in community work for many years. It's great to be contributing to the work Petone Baptist does alongside the wider local community.

Eldership

The Eldership Team operate under the delegated authority of the church members to undertake the governance of the church. Their role is one of overall stewardship of the church, protection and fostering of its mission, and supporting and mentoring its pastor/s. The current team is: Andy McFadden, Lisa Martell, Logan Hodgson, Matthew Kenning, Penny Phillips.

24/7 Youth Work

We believe the old adage: it takes a village to raise a child. In light of this, 24-7YW facilitates the connection between a local school and a local church to provide trained youth workers to work within a school. PBC supports 3 Youth Workers within our local public intermediate & high-school. Our current youth workers are: Alistair Morris, Lorenz Arabelo, Pip Morris.