Central Baptist Church

Our church was started in 1903 with a small group of enthusiastic and enterprising members. A building was soon erected, and is incorporated into our current building today, as part of our hall. Over the years Whangarei Central Baptist church has sent a steady stream of missionaries to serve in the Pacific, Asia and various other areas of the globe as well as sending people to Carey Baptist College for training for ministry.

A focus on young people and camping has always been part of the church, and so in 1951 the Manaia Camp Site was purchased which continues to be used for camps by our members, as well as by schools and other community groups from Northland and beyond (for more information about the campsite and bookings see Manaia Campsite).

Whangarei Central has a strong commitment to supporting and helping the people in our community. Over the years we have introduced a range of community initiatives including Regent Training Centre - to help unemployed young people (now sold); Arataki Ministries - to support people affected by mental illhealth and illness; Whangarei Community Toy Library to serve families; 4Cs to nurture and assist the elderly and lonely, Cityouth to grow and challenge high school students; Lynk to engage and develop intermediate age students and Overcomers to support, equip and encourage those who are facing difficulties or a crisis. There are a range of other specialist support services currently running through our church - contact the church office at Ministry inquiry to find out more.

We have planted other churches over the years, and we continue to support other Baptist churches in Northland in a variety of ways. We continue to look for further ways to support the people of Whangarei and Northland and are in the process of upgrading our buildings and developing our staff and volunteers to better serve our community's needs. Please see our Elders & Governance and Staff pages to find out more about our leadership structure and church workers.