We are excited to announce that the Lutheran Church of New Zealand has partnered with us as one of our newest shareholders to help grow God’s kingdom.
The Lutheran Church first came to New Zealand in 1843 when a group of German missionaries arrived in the Chatham Islands, and later that year in Upper Moutere near Nelson. Over the years, more Lutherans came from South Australia and Scandinavia.
Today, the Lutheran Church, although small in New Zealand,is made up of people from all over the world. Since the 1940s the Lutheran Church of New Zealand has its own financial arm, Lutheran Layman’s League(LLL). In recent years, the compliance requirements became too much for the group, so when the opportunity presented itself, the Lutheran Church instead made the decision to become a shareholder in Christian Savings.
“At this early stage, I am simply hoping that the partnership will grow and become strong,” says Rev Mark Whitfield, Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand. “I’d love to think that the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire and lead us to the ministry and mission future He has planned and if we need financial help, advice and support along the way to step into those Godly plans, then it will be good to know that Christian Savings—another part of the Body of Christ—is there for us.
“The Lutheran Church is the oldest Protestant Church, dating back to the Reformation in 1517 and the Reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546) in Germany. Luther rediscovered in God’s Word that people don’t get into a right relationship with God by ‘good works’, rather, God’s acceptance of us is entirely a free gift received by faith in Jesus.”
“I appreciate the way Christian Savings has committed itself to assisting churches in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and building the Kingdom of God in Aotearoa. Every resource we have—including our finances—is a gift from God, and He delights when we offer these gifts back to Him so that they might be used to draw others into the embrace of Jesus’ love. I believe Christian Savings encourages Kiwi Christians to live this way.”
