Andrew Picard and Jody Kilpatrick are the new co-presidents of the New Zealand Baptist Research and Historical Society. They succeed Martin Sutherland who, as president for the last 10 years, has provided strong and innovative leadership for the society.

Andrew is the Director of Community Life at Laidlaw College, where he also teaches preaching and helps coordinate internships. Between 2005 and 2009 he served as Senior Pastor at Napier Baptist Church. Jody is the Pastor of Ponsonby Baptist Church, where she has served since 2005.

Both are graduates of Carey Baptist College, where they trained under Paul Windsor. And both are keen to see New Zealand Baptists sharp about their history and theology and able to draw on the riches of both for their life and mission.

“That’s our goal as a society,” says Andrew. “We’re committing to serving New Zealand Baptists by stimulating cutting-edge research into New Zealand Baptist life and theology, the kind of research that equips the church to be the church more effectively.”

In recent years the society has done this in a number of ways. It publishes the Pacific Journal of Baptist Research, an international journal on Baptist thought, history and mission (free to members). It hosts annual dinners, with recent speakers Nigel Wright, Principal of Spurgeon’s College in London and Dr Raymond Miller, Associate Professor of Politics at Auckland University.

The Society also maintains an extensive archive at Carey Baptist College. This holds valuable material on the Baptist churches, organisations and individuals who make up the story of the denomination in New Zealand.

In June the society plans to sponsor, with Carey Baptist College, a one-day conference exploring Baptist ecclesiology – what it means to be a Baptist church today in response to the challenge presented by emerging and missional church models.

The society also plans to begin work on a dictionary of New Zealand Baptist life and thought. It is planning mid-year dinner events with Rob Kilpatrick as speaker, both in the North and South Islands, in celebration of the 125^th anniversary of the founding of tranzsend. And be on the look out for regular articles in the Baptist on the history and development of tranzsend.

The Society’s Executive Committee currently includes Mike Crudge, Douglas Dean, Don and Olwyn Dixon, Rod and Ailsa Hoggard, Jody Kilpatrick, Philip Larking, Andrew Picard, Brian Shaw, Martin Sutherland, Will Warden, and John Tucker.

John takes over as Secretary from Don Dixon, who has rendered many years of valuable service.