The National Leader of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand is formally an Officer of the Baptist Union and is elected by Assembly on four-year, then three-year terms as recommended by Assembly Council.
This role oversees the strategic and spiritual wellbeing of the collective of 250 faith communities, along with their leadership team and the regional Association Chairs. The vision and direction of our movement of churches is shaped and guided by the National Leader who accounts to Assembly Council.
Charles Hewlett
Our current leader
Kia ora
I love Jesus. I love the Bible. I love the Gospel. I love the Church. And I love Mission.
My number one task is to keep the eyes of New Zealand Baptist’s firmly fixed on Jesus. It is his words that we must listen to the most. He will show us what our priorities must be. How to treat one another. How to live in our neighbourhoods. It is the power of his Gospel that will bring renewal to people and places.
While my leadership philosophy comes from the Bible verse, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”, I have been mostly shaped in my own leadership by people with severe intellectual and physical disability. My daughter was born with inoperable brain cancer. Despite living until she was 13 her life was marked out by much suffering. And my 28-year-old son lives with the cognitive abilities of a 9-month-old baby.
Prior to becoming National Leader I spent 13 years on the staff at Carey Baptist College, 8 of these as Principal.
From the National Leader's keyboard
Charles Mail: Healthy faith communities
Journeys to baptism that began at eCamp 23 | Over 100 attend free English class bringing gospel renewal in Christchurch | Influencing change for people…
Charles Mail: Proclaiming Jesus
Thank you Easter Camp volunteers! | Celebrating culture with the Karen community | My day at Easter Camp | Baptist attendance statistics | The Baptist…
Charles Mail: Living
Charles invites four Baptist leaders to reflect on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – our Lord and our Saviour.
Charles Mail: Our invitations
A prayer for Easter camps | Motueka baptisms | Karen Baptist Churches' culture night | Responding to the Ministry of Disabled People announcement | More…
Charles Mail: Keeping you informed
Preparing to meet with the Prime Minister | 100 years at Liberty Baptist Church | What’s our Lead Team reviewing? | What does self-care look…
Charles Mail: Tracing footprints
Baptist Māori Ministry pioneers | National Support Centre staff retreat | Seminar with Otago Southland Association | Podcasts Baptist leaders are listening to | And…
Charles Mail: Life to the full
Baptisms & learning about the purpose of life | Meetings with Regional Leaders, Chinese Pastors, Children and Families coaches, eCamp 2024 team and Baptist Union…
Charles Mail: New life
New Chair of Baptist Women New Zealand, cohort of Pastoral Leadership students, and pastoral appointments…
Charles Mail: Painting a picture of gospel renewal
A chat with Old Testament Lecturer, Michael Rhodes | Assembly Council and ‘30 around 30’ retreats | Gospel renewal on marae | Adoring Jesus |…
Charles Mail: What gospel renewal looks like
How we might pivot our strategic priorities more towards gospel renewal | Arotahi Renew Together 24 | A phenomenal day at Waitangi | There is…
Charles' Podcasts
Charles Hewlett: Holding discomfort
Charles Hewlett is the Baptist National Leader and is married to Joanne. He shares their experience of parenting two wonderful and profoundly disabled children, highlighting…
Merrilyn Withers: Loving youth
Charles and Kathryn talk to the rockstar and legend in our Baptist movement, Merrilyn Withers. Serving the youth in our movement for over 40 years,…
Fiona Warring: This is not the end of my story
Charles Hewlett talks with Fiona Warring, a 45-year-old New Zealand Baptist living with terminal cancer. She's married to Mike, and they have three children. He…
Strengthening our eldership team (Better Church Elders 6)
Where do we find new elders? What training will make us even better? How can we support our pastor and staff more? Charles Hewlett talks…
Maintaining healthy eldership relationships (Better Church Elders 5)
What things contribute to healthy relationships? What are some of the pitfalls we must try and avoid? Charles Hewlett talks to Jonny Weir about maintaining…
Bringing the Bible into decision making (Better Church Elders 4)
How does the Bible remain the foundational guide for our belief and behaviour as a church? What practical things can we do to keep the…
Models of eldership (Better Church Elders 3)
Big, medium or small – does one eldership model fit all churches? What are some of the options? Where does the pastor fit into all…
Eldership and governance (Better Church Elders 2)
What is it that makes good governance? What do governors actually do? Charles Hewlett talks to Mel Wilson about eldership and governance. Mel has worked…
The Bible and eldership (Better Church Elders 1)
What does the Bible have to say about our function as elders? What is it that we are meant to be and do? Charles Hewlett…
Scott Heslop: The rocket science of being a father
In this episode, Charles Hewlett talks with Scott Heslop who is a rocket engineer. They discuss the pressures that many men face between work and…
Sarah from The Loyal Workshop
In this episode Charles talks to Sarah, who along with her husband Paul founded The Loyal Workshop, a business that brings freedom to women in the red light area of Kolkata,…
Baptist People Introduction
We are Charles Hewlett, and Kathryn Heslop. In our roles as National Leader, and Executive Advisor within the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, we daily…
Local neighbourhoods and the future of the church: Brook Turner and Duane Major (Episode 2)
Charles Hewlett talks with Brook Turner (Vision West Community Trust, Auckland) and Duane Major (South West Baptist Church, Christchurch), asking them what local neighbourhoods are like…
Defining gospel renewal and local neighbourhood: Duane Major and George Wieland (Episode 1)
If you’re wondering how to become aware of the needs in your local community, or how the mission of your church will continue to be…
Understanding your neighbourhood—where is God at work?: Lynne Taylor and Dave Tims (Episode 3)
Lynne Taylor (Baptist Researcher, Dunedin) and Dave Tims (Urban Neighbours of Hope, Auckland), with Charles Hewlett talk about practical tools that can help us understand our neighbourhoods,…
A movement that prays audaciously (National Hui 2019)
Charles Hewlett focuses on two words: shamelessly and audacious, found in Luke 11:5-13. Are we becoming a movement where bold prayers are the norm? You’ve…
The world we are about to live in (National Hui 2019)
Four emerging leaders, Fiona Beals, Colin Gruetzmacher, Jennie Ekigbo and Sarah Rice, share what they think the world we are about to do ministry and…
Photo gallery of people and places
