REPRESENTING THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF 2X2 HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS ON THE INTERNET
Perry, Oklahoma Conv, 1942
NEW ZEALAND
Accounts of First Missions in New Zealand:
New Zealand - Friends Who Lived in the Hutt Valley 1901-2006
New Zealand - First Workers in New Zealand
New Zealand - Brief Summary of the First Days of the Work in NZ
Australia and New Zealand:
Australia & New Zealand - First Two Workers to go to Australia & NZ
Australia & New Zealand - Gospel Coming to Australia and New Zealand
Australia & New Zealand - Coming of the Gospel to Australia and New Zealand
Australia & New Zealand - Data re The Gospel Coming to Australia and New Zealand
Australia & New Zealand - Adam Hutchison's Arrival
Australia & New Zealand - John Hardie's Account
Australia & New Zealand - Ralph & Rene Beattie, Married Worker Couple
NORTH ISLAND PIONEERS: Joe Fraser, Jim Hodgins, Maggie McDougall and Francis Hodgins pioneered the North Island in 1905, all from the UK.
SOUTH ISLAND PIONEERS: Adam Hutchison, Joe Williamson, Annie Smith and Fanny Carroll pioneered the South Island in 1905, all from the UK.
First Open Homes: In 1901: Tom & Emily Hastings, Petone, Lower Hutt, in the Wellington Region; Jack & Dot Lowe, near Pukekohe in the Auckland Region; both lived on the North Island.
Who was the first to profess, what year and where?
North Island: Nellie Fake, age 15, in 1905 in Epuni, Lower Hutt, in Maggie McDougall and Francis Hodgins meetings.
South Island: Jack Craig in 1905 or 1906 in Otago in Annie Smith and Fanny Carroll's meetings.
Who were the first native workers to go in the work and When?
First Native Brother Workers: Arthur/Archie Murray, 1907; Jack Craig, 1908
First Native Sister Worker: Alice Begbie, only 19, was one of the youngest to go out in 1907 (there were also others in 1907).
When & Where was the first Gospel Meeting?
When & Where was the first Sunday fellowship meeting?
When & Where was the first baptism?
1907, MARCH: FIRST NZ CONVENTION - The very FIRST Convention took place in the South Island in Harper Street, Sydenham, Christchurch. 70 people attended. There had been much response in NZ and several started in the Work at this time. Alice Begbie, only 19, was one of the youngest to go out. Eight workers from the UK had arrived just in time for this Convention, after which Brother Workers left for Australia. After the Convention, Jack Craig began preaching.
1908, MARCH: SECOND NZ CONVENTION in the South Island took place at Christchurch. Another eight New Zealanders went into the Work afterwards.
1909: FIRST CONVENTION IN THE NORTH ISLAND was held in Wellington in an empty shop on Adelaide Road. The accommodations were in two nearby barns.
1910 CONVENTIONS: The North Island Convention in 1910 was held at Alfred and Daisy Berryman's farm between Woodville and Manawatu Gorge; only one convention was held there. Another South Island Convention was held at Christchurch.
Where have subsequent conventions been held?
Where is the convention now held? 5 conventions held in the North Island; 2 in the South Island.
Who have the Head Workers been? John Fraser: 1905-1909; John Wilson McClung: 1914-1944; Willie John Hughes: 1944-1966; Willie Phyn: 1966-1985; Nathan McCarthy: 1985-2006; Alan Richardson: 2004-current
Native Language? English
TTT Editor's Note: The above information has been compiled by the TTT Editor from various sources. Corrections or additions are most welcome; as well as other historical accounts for this country Email TTT
A Brief Summary
of the
First Days of the Work in N.Z.
The first two preachers to come to N.Z. were John Hardy and Sandy Alexander, then John Hardie went to Australia, where he remained. In 1905 eight workers came to N.Z. from the Homeland and in 1906 the missions were worked. John Fraser and Jimmy Hodgins went to Auckland Province and worked a mission at Pukakohe and about 40 professed. Among them was Teenie Walker, Alice Begbie, Percy Hartland and many others.
Maggie McDougal and Francis Hodgins had quite a few to decide in Wellington, among whom was Jim McLeod, Will Hooper and Harriet and others. Later these went out in the Work.
Adam Hutchison and Joe Williamson went to the Canterbury Province the same year (1906) and worked a big mission at Oxford, a few miles out of Christchurch. Some who professed were A. Cederman, Jim Vallance and Cis Taylor, who later went out in the Work as a result of that mission.
Jim Hodgins died in Auckland.
Annie Smith and Fanny Carroll worked in the Otago Province. They started a mission at Berwick (30 miles from Dunedin). The sisters went out visiting and called on people by the name of Graham, Dairy Farmers, and invited them to meetings. They were shy Presbyterians and would not come, but said they thought that their dairyman would come and he was no less than Jack Craig, a Plymouth Brethren. He used to attend the Brethren meetings but never took part, so they said he had a dumb devil.
Jack Craig started to go to the sisters meetings and after four meetings he came early one night, before the meeting started, and told the sisters as a result of what they had been preaching he had last night made up his mind to make the Lord Jesus his Master. That meant that Jack Craig was the first saint to profess in Otago. After Jack professed he went back to the Brethren meeting and told them all how he had gotten light and they came to the conclusion that he certainly had received something.
Next, the sisters came to Otokio, about 19 miles from Dunedin, and started a mission there and quite a number came out. Among them was the Blair family, Gerald Morris and several others. They had a meeting one Sunday afternoon and Jack Craig came along and gave his testimony, so that after that time there were six of the Blairs professing.
My brother Robert would not attend the meetings because the Brethren did not believe in women preachers, but sometime after we had decided, it sort of worked an interest in him and he attended a meeting (he was also a Plymouth Brethren). He became quite interested and the first night he thought he had got light and told the sister workers he had been believing in a dead Christ and later he made Jesus his Lord and Master.
The next thing there was a Church to be formed and, owing to my mother not professing, we could not have the meeting in the home so had it in the barn. That was the first Church in Otago. Jack Craig used to walk the 8 miles to attend the Fellowship meeting. Some time after, mother softened and decided it was not right to have the meeting in the barn and invited us to meet in her front room. Later she herself professed and opened her home, which was the first open home in Otago.
The first Convention we went to was held in Harper Street, Christchurch. 70 people were there. It was the only Convention in the South Island. The sisters stopped about one year after we professed, then went to Tasmania. Jack Craig went out from that Convention.
The next preacher to come along was Harry McNeary. Had some meetings in Dunedin and one or two professed, then Harry and Jim McLeod worked a big mission at Purakanui. A big number professed, among them the Wix family, of whom four went out in the work.
So the work went steadily on and now there are 5 Conventions in the North Island and 2 in the South Island.
The first two workers, who came to New Zealand, were: John Hardie and Sandy Alexander; then John Hardie went to Australia, where he remained.
In 1905, (8) workers came to N.Z. from the homeland, (Great Britain). In 1906, the missions were worked.
John Frazer (sic-should be Fraser) and Jimmy Hodgins went to the Auckland Province and worked a mission at Pukekohe, about 40 professed. Among them were Teenie Walker, Alice Begbie, Percy Hartland and many others.
Maggie McDougal and Frances Hodgins had quite a few to profess in Wellington, among them was Jim McCleod.
Adam Hutchinson and Joe Williamson went to the Canterbury province the same year-1906, and worked a big mission at Oxford, a few miles out of Christchurch.
Then Annie Smith and Fanny Carroll worked in the Otago province, started a mission at Berwick, 30 miles from Dunedin.
The workers went out visiting, called on people by the name of Graham, dairy farmers, and invited them to meetings. They were shy Presbyterians, and wouldn't come, but said they thought their dairyman would come, who was no less than Jack Craig, a Plymouth Brethren. He used to attend the Brethren meetings, but never took part, said he had a dumb devil. Jack Craig started to go to the sisters' meetings, came early one night, before the meeting started, and told the sisters that as a result of what they had been preaching, that last night, he made up his mind to make the Lord his Master. That meant Jack Craig was the first to profess in Otago. After Jack professed, he went back to the Brethren meetings, and told them all how he had received light, and they came to the conclusion that he certainly had received something.
Next, the same sisters went to Otokio, about 18 miles from Dunedin and started a mission there, quite a few came out. Among them was the Blair family, Gerald Morris and several others. They had a meeting one Sunday afternoon, and Jack Craig came along and gave his testimony. After that, the Blairs professed. My brother Robert, wouldn't attend the meetings, because the Brethren didn't believe in women preachers, but some time after we had decided, it sort of worked an interest in him, and he attended a meeting. He was also a Plymouth Brethren. He became quite interested, and the first night he thought he had received light, and told the sister workers he had been believing in a dead Christ, and consequently he made Jesus his Lord and Master.
The next thing, there was a church to be formed, and owing to my mother not professing, we couldn't have the meeting in the home so it was held in the barn. This was the first church in Otago. Jack Craig used to come the 8 miles to attend the fellowship meeting.
Sometime after that Mother became much softer and decided it wasn't right having the Lord's supper in a barn, and invited us to meet in her front room. Later, she herself professed, and opened her home, which was the first open home in Otago.
The FIRST convention we went to was held in Harper Street, Sydenham, Christchurch. 70 people were there. It was the only convention in N.Z.
The sisters stayed about one year after we professed, then went to Tasmania.
Jack Craig went out from that convention to preach. The next preacher who came along was, H. McNeary (Harry). He had some meetings at Dunedin and 1 or 2 professed, one being Lizzie Stevens. And in 1908 he worked a mission out at Purakanui just out of Dunedin, he and Jim Mcleod had about 40 to profess. Quite a number went out to preach, among them being the Wix family; of that family 4 went out to preach the Gospel and Robert Blair went out later.
TTT Editors Note: George & Lottie Wix (brother and sister) pioneereed the work in Switzerland.
Harry McNeary left the Faith Mission in 1900 to become one of Wm. Irvine's workers, and left the work in 1928, the same year Ed Cooney was expelled.
