Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand (GPCNZ) is a Presbyterian denomination in New Zealand which was formed in 2002. It currently consists of 21 churches and missions, which are in the process of becoming fully established churches.[1]
Background
Many members of the GPCNZ are former members who left the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) as they took a more conservative view of faith and the Bible than other churches in the PCANZ. In practice this means that the GPCNZ holds different views to the PCANZ on the Bible, salvation, the gospel, preaching, homosexuality and the ordination of women.[2] In 1974 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church was founded in Christchurch. In 2000 like minded churches formed Grace Bible Churches. In February, 2003 a fully fledged denomination with common constitution called Grace Presbyterian Church in New Zealand was formed.[3]
The denomination teaches that "the Bible is the inspired Word of God and it contains everything people need to know for salvation".[2]
Church positions on issues of particular interest
Grace Presbyterian Church teaches that homosexual practice is sinful. In relation to abortion, it maintains that the Bible does not distinguish between prenatal and postnatal life.
GPCNZ believes that women are valued members of the church, equal in value before God, but that the Biblical scriptures do define different roles within life and the church according to the order of how God made us. This means although GPCNZ encourages men & women to serve in the church wherever they can, GPCNZ does not have women as Pastors or elders.
Each congregation has the right to own and control their own property.
GPCNZ does not operate its own theological college, and has approved the courses at the Grace Theological College [6] as the churches' official training institution in New Zealand. Grace Theological College is a non-denominational institution for leaders of churches in the evangelical and Calvinist tradition. It was established in 1995.[4]
