In the last month Auckland has become a “Super City” that is [predicted] to grow by 500,000 in the next 25 years. About the same time as you read this letter Auckland Baptists will have their only annual opportunity to meet together at Baptist Assembly. These two events show how unprepared Baptists are to face the huge challenge the future presents in Auckland.

Over the past 10 years the Auckland Baptist Association has declined so much that most Baptists are not aware of its existence or are reminded of it in the churches who still give 5% of their income to it and are asked at their annual meetings what happens to it.

One of the results of this decline is that there are growing areas of Auckland where there are only a few small struggling churches and when Baptists move into such areas they join a church of another denomination.

For the overwhelming number of Baptists the only church is the local church. This is because of our over-emphasis on the autonomy of the local church.

What can be done about this?
1. Auckland Baptists should have a leader who can give a focus and vision to Auckland churches working together.
2. There should be an annual event of some sort to bring Baptists together.
3. As a movement we need teaching that the Body of Christ is just that, not an arm or a leg. The strong churches need to help the weaker ones so that we move forward together, or our movement will move mainly backwards.

– Terry Smith, Auckland