At the 2019 Hui, the Baptist Churches of New Zealand inducted Alan Jamieson as the new general director of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.
Senior pastor of South West Baptist Church, Alan Jamieson is well-known within New Zealand churches for his well-researched and thought-provoking writings on the relationship between church, faith and culture in New Zealand.
Alan’s initial vocation was as an intermediate school teacher before joining the RNZAF. In 1989 he was appointed pastor of the Ilam Congregation of Spreydon Baptist Church before accepting a call to Wellington Central Baptist Church, where he served as senior pastor from 1998 to 2007. In 2009 he was appointed senior pastor of Spreydon Baptist Church (now South West Baptist Church). He also currently teaches courses in Christian Spirituality and Missional Leadership at Carey Baptist College.
Alan is married to Sandra, and they have been blessed with two children, Emma and Chris, and four grandchildren who he thoroughly enjoys spending time with.
In taking on the role of general director, Alan’s initial focus is well-defined. Mission Council (the governance board of NZBMS) has identified these strategic priorities as being
- to lead a major strategic review of the direction and activities of NZBMS in dialogue with NZBMS council, staff and Baptist churches
- to develop an effective strategy to encourage, educate and facilitate New Zealand Baptist churches to be engaged in ongoing, dynamic, and fruitful global mission
- to be an effective future-focused organisation.
In a letter to Baptist churches introducing Alan’s nomination, Mission Council chair, Andrew Bollen, wrote, “We believe God has called and gifted Alan to lead NZBMS through this strategic review and into the next phase of ministry and mission. Alan brings a depth of leadership experience and a proven commitment to mobilisation of the church which will be invaluable in helping us shape the direction of NZBMS.”
Andrew went on to explain some details of Alan’s appointment. “While we were initially looking at a full-time appointment to this role, Alan wishes to continue as senior pastor of South West Baptist while offering himself as available for this position. The search committee are convinced that Alan has the skillset we are looking for and have spent significant time with Alan and the leadership of South West Baptist to consider how this might work out in practice.
“Alan is a high-capacity leader who we believe is capable of leading a highly effective team. Alan will be in the Auckland office regularly, and in touch daily via video calls and conferencing.”
Alan will commence his role as general director on 2nd March 2020.
A note from Alan Jamieson
I’m writing while taking part in Auck-Chch-Welly presentations with church leaders on the faith, worldviews and engagement of millennials (people born between the early 1980s and mid‑to-late 1990s). These conversations are based on interviews with over 15,000 millennials from 25 countries throughout the world, which make up part of a Barna/World Vision research project. The project is a world first and the findings are both alarming and instructive.
The project’s conclusions open opportunities for churches to engage more fully and deeply with this crucial generation that cares deeply about the needs of the world but remains disconnected to, and perhaps even cynical with, organised church and faith-based initiatives. And yet, this generation is crucial to our churches and to our church’s engagement in mission—both locally and globally.
I’m concerned to connect this generation with our church’s deep engagement in global mission—to link them with the inspirational story of New Zealand Baptists’ involvement in global mission and with today’s missional needs and practitioners.
Alongside the need to engage new generations, I want to see our local Baptist churches as the primary world mission inspirers, senders, supporters and learners. We are a movement of local churches. Local churches who can inspire a dream for mission and send people out to do global mission. Churches who should be the primary supporters and, through media and travel, the primary carers for, and learners of, the people they send. This is what gets me up in the mornings.
From Alan Jamieson
NZBMS General Director Elect
