King's Church Christchurch - New Zealand
Written by andy johnston
Some of you may have noticed that Isaac Williams was in town and visited us on a couple of Sunday mornings over the summer with his cousin Sam. It’s now four years since Tim and Angie, along with their now-adult children Isaac and Emily, returned to New Zealand.
I’ll never forget that fateful Sunday morning during the first COVID lockdown, when we were allowed into one another’s gardens but not into one another’s homes. Tim and Angie asked if they could “drop by” — and then dropped the bombshell that they felt God was calling them back to New Zealand and to King’s Church, Christchurch, which they had helped plant some 15 years earlier. To say that Janet and I were gutted is something of an understatement. Since moving here in 2015, we had grown to love Tim and Angie deeply and had seen God’s grace upon them as leaders — Tim as a gifted pastor-teacher and Angie as a first-class prophetic worship leader and administrator.
Over the years, however, we’ve learned that God blesses generosity, and He does not reward mean-spiritedness. So we gave some of our best when we sent Tim, Angie, Isaac, and Emily back to New Zealand, trusting that they would be a source of real strength to a church that had been well-planted but had since faced considerable difficulties. We also gave King’s Church a financial gift so that they could employ Tim in his first year. Shortly afterwards, it became clear that Tim should be leading the church, and so he stepped into the role of Senior Pastor. Not long after that, tragedy struck when the wife of the church’s former leader died very suddenly — while Angie was leading worship at the funeral of a church member. In the kindness of God, Tim was able to lead the church through the pain of that loss, while Matt was able to grieve the passing of his wife, Lesley.
In October 2023, the church in Christchurch covered our airfares and invited Janet and me out to New Zealand to teach at their church weekend away. We were able to see firsthand what Tim and Angie, by the grace of God, have been able to achieve. We witnessed how the church has grown and been strengthened under Tim’s leadership. Angie now leads the worship team, and there is a wonderful sense of God’s presence as they gather. Isaac and Emily have also played a vital role, serving as catalysts for drawing people in their late teens and early 20s into the life of the church. There is a real sense of God’s favour upon them as a church family.
More recently, Ben Kinchin, who has been serving at KCC as an intern over the past year, spent four months in Christchurch working with Tim and the team, particularly focusing on ministry among those in their 20s. Next year, Tim and Angie are planning a return visit to the UK. They hope to be at the Catalyst Festival and, I’m sure, will also be visiting KCC.
Please pray for the nation of New Zealand. Pray for King’s Church Christchurch, and especially for Tim, Angie, Isaac, and Emily. Pray for God’s favour and blessing upon them — that they would see many come to faith in Jesus, and that a strong church would be established, rooted in God’s wonderful grace, drawing people from many nations and across all ages.
I’ll never forget that fateful Sunday morning during the first COVID lockdown, when we were allowed into one another’s gardens but not into one another’s homes. Tim and Angie asked if they could “drop by” — and then dropped the bombshell that they felt God was calling them back to New Zealand and to King’s Church, Christchurch, which they had helped plant some 15 years earlier. To say that Janet and I were gutted is something of an understatement. Since moving here in 2015, we had grown to love Tim and Angie deeply and had seen God’s grace upon them as leaders — Tim as a gifted pastor-teacher and Angie as a first-class prophetic worship leader and administrator.
Over the years, however, we’ve learned that God blesses generosity, and He does not reward mean-spiritedness. So we gave some of our best when we sent Tim, Angie, Isaac, and Emily back to New Zealand, trusting that they would be a source of real strength to a church that had been well-planted but had since faced considerable difficulties. We also gave King’s Church a financial gift so that they could employ Tim in his first year. Shortly afterwards, it became clear that Tim should be leading the church, and so he stepped into the role of Senior Pastor. Not long after that, tragedy struck when the wife of the church’s former leader died very suddenly — while Angie was leading worship at the funeral of a church member. In the kindness of God, Tim was able to lead the church through the pain of that loss, while Matt was able to grieve the passing of his wife, Lesley.
In October 2023, the church in Christchurch covered our airfares and invited Janet and me out to New Zealand to teach at their church weekend away. We were able to see firsthand what Tim and Angie, by the grace of God, have been able to achieve. We witnessed how the church has grown and been strengthened under Tim’s leadership. Angie now leads the worship team, and there is a wonderful sense of God’s presence as they gather. Isaac and Emily have also played a vital role, serving as catalysts for drawing people in their late teens and early 20s into the life of the church. There is a real sense of God’s favour upon them as a church family.
More recently, Ben Kinchin, who has been serving at KCC as an intern over the past year, spent four months in Christchurch working with Tim and the team, particularly focusing on ministry among those in their 20s. Next year, Tim and Angie are planning a return visit to the UK. They hope to be at the Catalyst Festival and, I’m sure, will also be visiting KCC.
Please pray for the nation of New Zealand. Pray for King’s Church Christchurch, and especially for Tim, Angie, Isaac, and Emily. Pray for God’s favour and blessing upon them — that they would see many come to faith in Jesus, and that a strong church would be established, rooted in God’s wonderful grace, drawing people from many nations and across all ages.