Background
National Hui 2023 gave the Assembly Council, through the National Support Centre, a mandate to develop a safety mechanism for dealing with serious misconduct by pastoral staff.
In December 2023 a group was established tasked with developing this mechanism, and ensuring it would fit within the current Baptist Union of New Zealand (BUNZ) safety ecosystem. The Serious Misconduct Process is the realisation of this work.
Consultation was undertaken and the final Serious Misconduct Process document was published in September 2024. This proposal was then accepted by the voting delegates at National Hui, November 2024.
Adopting the Serious Misconduct Process
Following the vote at National Hui, National Council have approved the following four year process for the adoption of the Serious Misconduct Process (SMP).
- 2025 – 2026
Churches can choose to adopt the SMP by including the suggested clauses in their church constitutions – the clauses are found in this document:
Proposed-clauses-for-Church-Constitutions.docx (269 KB)
The Model Constitution has been amended to included these clauses.
These churches then advise the National Support Centre and upload their amended constitutions via the church access My Place portal.
All newly constituted churches will be required to include the SMP in their constitution. - 2027
The BUNZ Constitution will be amended to include the SMP with a vote on this constitutional change to be held at National Hui 2027. - 2028
By the end of 2028 all churches will have updated their constitutions to include the SMP.
For further information please contact Karen Warner,
Leadership Coordination Director, Baptist National Support Centre.
Email: [email protected]
Ph: 0212790919
Article on Baptist Polity
Written by Martin Sutherland, Baptist Theologian and Pastor:
Baptist Polity and a Serious Misconduct Policy
The proposals redefine aspects of local church responsibility, but do not threaten it on any fundamental questions.
Latest articles and news on Baptist NZ
Champion of children: Jean Morley (nee Williams), 1943–
Jean was an international leader in Children’s Bible Ministries and was jointly responsible for training scores of children’s workers in New Zealand and overseas.
Mercy: Walking towards the awkward
As we follow the example of Jesus, how might we respond to others, asks Denise Tims.
Tumuaki-ā-motu – National Leader vacancy
Expressions of interest are open; please pray for this in your local churches.
Enrolments now open – Ngā Pou Amorangi 2025–2026 Intake!
Develop your servant leadership skills utilising concepts, values, knowledge, and more from Te ao Māori.
Easter invitation fosters ‘a little heaven’ at Oamaru rest home
Rest home opens its doors to church kids for an egg-citing game...
Great news – no Charities Tax in this upcoming NZ budget!
A positive update following recent consultation about tax changes for charities.
This is gospel renewal: Kindness, good stewardship and persistent prayer
Four stories of gospel renewal from our local Baptist churches that remind us God is always at work, everywhere.
By whom are we shaped?
This ANZAC Day, Sarah Rice encourages Christians to remember our allegiance is to Jesus, who died for his enemies.
Waiheke pastor’s Baptist church in Myanmar needs your donations and prayers
Donate now to support emergency relief and help rebuild the Baptist Church in Manje, Myanmar, the home village of Waiheke Island Baptist Church pastor Roi…
Tribute to Pope Francis
The late Pope Francis led with humility and deep compassion for those for whom life was hard, writes Charles Hewlett.
Reducing car use for God’s good creation
A Baptist pastor is making the most of New Zealand’s ride-to-work benefit program.
Baptist Union votes in new vice president
Former tech business entrepreneur Brian Smellie will be the Baptist Union’s president in 2026.
Just Baptists: Three NZ men who resisted ‘the system’ to bring about justice
John Tucker discusses justice in the life of Jesus and the actions of three New Zealand Baptists who made doing justice their mission.
Sports chaplains in New Zealand are uniquely placed for local mission
Boosting support for sports chaplains would help them reach thousands of people, on and off the field, says Phil Pawley.
New code of ethics and conduct available to read
Read the new code of ethics and conduct for Baptist pastors and ministry leaders in New Zealand.
Give to the Baptist World Alliance Myanmar earthquake relief fund
Here’s how you can help the Baptist World Alliance in its Myanmar earthquake relief efforts.
Meet the globals! ကမ္ဘာတဝှမ်းမှပုဂ္ဂိုလ်များနှင့်တွေ့ဆုံကြည့်ပါ
A reflection on the uplifting evening celebrating New Zealand’s multicultural Baptist people, with Burmese translation.
Faith on the farm
When her daughter’s Burmese cat goes missing on the farm, Shirley Pearce puts her faith in action.
Pondering: A bicultural church?
“In my opinion, we are importing a secular or political concept into an ecclesiastical structure…”
Seeking God for our next National Leader
Appointing a new denominational leader is a pivotal time for our churches. We invite all churches to unite in prayer for this process.
Latest podcasts on Baptist NZ
Reti Ah-Voa: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Are you pressing on towards the finish line? To serve God and live a life of faith, you’ve got to be in the race and…
Pastoring beyond duty
Pastoring isn’t just a job—it’s a calling rooted in love for God’s people. Join us as Eduardo Mendonca shares the joys, blessings, and sacred purpose…
Place-based institutions and the future of the church, with Taylor Marston
How can the experience of place-based institutions such as Sister Cities and Rotary Clubs inform where the church is at in 2025? Taylor shares from…
Luke Kaa-Morgan: John 21
Luke provides leadership for Carey Baptist College and its Treaty journey in his role as Te Pouarataki mō te hikoi (Treaty guide). In this episode,…
The art of disagreeing well, with Hazel Dunn
Treating people with respect and without judgment when we disagree might be one of the hardest things to do, especially in our increasingly polarised world,…
What should we do?
The church is a sleeping giant. But imagine the impact on local communities everywhere if churches awoke to the opportunity this issue presents. This session…
7. The land of Jerusalem and the temple in the New Testament
We remind ourselves of the importance of the land, Jerusalem and temple in ancient Israel and what the New Testament says about that. At the…
6. Living in God’s land
We go back to the Old Testament and look at how God's people are to live in God's land, the exile as the consequence of…
5. Restorationism and Zionism
This episode defines restorationism, political Zionism, and Christian Zionism, and it gives a history of the development of Zionism since it emerged at the end…
4. Jewish and Palestinian perspectives of the land
We go back to the Old Testament and consider the importance of the land of the Bible for ancient Israel and why Jewish people today…
A heart for the future
Given that it's her job to make future projections, what does Katharine Hayhoe say will happen in the future? How do we feel about that? Then…
3. Life in the land of the Holy One: It's complicated
We take a no-holds-barred look at what it is like to live in the West Bank and Gaza today and some Christian responses to that.
2. 4000 years in 40 minutes
A brief potted history of the promised land from the promises to Abraham of Genesis 12 to the present day.
1. Biblical insights: Introduction
Biblical scholar Philip Church and host Lauren Domigan introduce themselves and the background of this series about the gospel and the land of the Bible.
William HC: Titus 3:1-15
Getting to know a kind God. The kindness and love of our Saviour is our true foundation for doing good in this world...
Science – the new taboo?
Given the diverse sources that people get their science information from, how can you know what to trust? And how might climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe…
Faith, creative arts and the power of authentic identity, with Bethany Miller
Welcome to Season 4! We're starting with a compelling conversation with Bethany, who shares her journey of embracing authenticity in Wellington’s creative arts scene. She…
How does the climate crisis affect people?
In a wealthy country with a moderate climate like New Zealand, it's easy to feel unconcerned about our environmental challenge. But what might it mean for…
Phil Halstead: Titus 2:11-15
Phil’s sermon explores the role of mentors and epiphanies in people’s lives.
What’s going on, and where do we stand?
We’ve heard political voices and social media voices, but what might a Christian response to this topic be? As Katharine Hayhoe explains, we face not…
Katie Cuttriss: Titus 2:1-10
Does our character and our actions give witness to the beauty of the gospel? Paul uses the model of a Godly household for missional living…
Paul Windsor: 2 Timothy 4:1-22
In these verses, we see that the apostle Paul carries many people in his heart. We look into the nature of his relationships and how…
Church and the climate crisis: About the series
As we hear daily reports of a changing environment and concerning future scenarios, many Christians are asking what the church's response will be. In this…
John Tucker: 2 Timothy 2:14-26
Open up a scripture that helps us to understand who we are as servants of Jesus and what it means to be emboldened and engaged…