Year 1969
My first pastor Lloyd Moreau and his family left a thriving church in Louisville, Colorado, USA to become the first UPCI missionary of New Zealand. For the next 13 years the Moreaus saw a great harvest of kiwis embrace the revelatory truths of the Oneness message of the Mighty God in Christ and Jesus Name baptism
Year 1984
The Robert (Bob) Addington family was commissioned to go to New Zealand at the 1984 General Conference in Anaheim, California
July 1986
The Robert (Bob) Addington family arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand. Starting with a few contacts, we began Bible studies in our home and church services in a local school hall. In the first four and one-half years the church grew to 75 people.
1998 - Present Day
The Addingtons moved to Hamilton to pastor and open the Christian College of Theology. In recent years the Bible School has morphed into the One in Christ Global Association of Theological Studies through which we were able to open five campuses in several different cities. In addition to pastoring a local church, Addington is the area coordinator and UPCI Superintendent of New Zealand.
We believe in the one ever-living eternal God: infinite in power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose and possessing absolute indivisible deity. The one true God has revealed Himself as Father through His Son, in redemption and as the Holy Spirit by emanation. (Cor. 8:6; Eph 4:6; 2 Cor. 5:18; Joel 2:28).
We believe the Bible to be inspired of God; the infallible Word of God. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
The one true God, Jehovah of the Old Testament took upon Himself the form of man, and as the Son of man, was born of the Virgin Mary. As Paul says, “and without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angles, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Tim. 3:16).
God used different titles, such as “God Elohim”, “God Almighty”, “El Shaddai”, “Jehovah”, and especially “Jehovah Lord”, the redemptive name in the Old Testament. “… unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the might God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). This prophecy was fulfilled when the Son of God was named Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
Pardon and forgiveness of sins is obtained by genuine repentance, confessing and forsaking of sins. We are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). John the Baptist preached repentance, Jesus proclaimed it and the Apostles emphasized it to both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 2:38; 11:18; 17:30) The word “repentance” comes from several Greek words which mean, change of views and purpose, change of heart, change of mind, change of life, to transform etc.
The scriptural mode of baptism is immersion and is only for those who have fully repented having turned from their sins and a love of the world. It should be administered by a duly authorized minister of the Gospel, in obedience to the Word of God, and in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Acts of the Apostles 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; thus obeying and fulfilling Matthew 28:19.
John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11 said, “… ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” Jesus, in Acts 1:5 said, “… ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” Luke tells us in Acts 2:4, “… they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The terms “baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire,” “filled with the Holy Spirit,” and the “gift of the Holy Ghost” are synonymous terms used interchangeably in the Bible. It is scriptural to expect all that receive the gift, filling, or baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive the same physical, initial sign of speaking with other tongues. The speaking with other tongues as recorded in Acts 2:4; 10:46 and 19:6 and the gift of tongues as explained in 1 Corinthians 12:14 are the same in essence but different in use and purpose.
The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We shall endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different view to the disunity of the body.