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==History==
The first Christian missionaries came to New Zealand at the start of the 19th Century. The [[Church Missionary Society]], an [[Anglican]] organisation, established a presence in New Zealand in 1814 with the permission and protection of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C4%81_Puhi Ngā Puhi] chief [[Ruatara]]. This expedition was led by [[Samuel Marsden]]. Later missionaries brought other religious denominations — [[Jean Baptiste Pompallier]] played an important role in establishing [[Roman Catholicism]], and [[Presbyterianism]] was brought to New Zealand largely by Scottish settlers. The Maori people also created their own forms of Christianity, with [[Ratana church|Ratana]] and [[Ringatu]] being the largest.
Although there was some [[anti-Catholic]] feeling in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this declined after the 1920s. Sectarian groups such as the [[Orange Order]] continue to exist in New Zealand but are now virtually invisible, and New Zealand's first Catholic Prime Minister, [[Michael Joseph Savage]], took office in 1935. There is now very little sectarianism in New Zealand, and various churches commonly co-operate on issues of common interest — various bodies exist promoting cooperation, such as the [[Uniting Congregations of Aotearoa New Zealand]], and church leaders have issued joint statements on a number of issues (for example, on the Iraq War).
no edit summary
'''Christianity in [[New Zealand]]''' dates to the arrival of [[missionaries]] in the early 19th Century, and is the country's primary religion. A number of denominations are present, with none having a dominant position. Today, slightly more than half the population identify as Christian.
==Statistics==
*Presbyterians are strong in Dunedin (founded as a Presbyterian settlement) and other parts of the lower South Island, reflecting heavy Scottish settlement in the area.
*The city of Auckland, due to its high immigrant population, has the greatest range of denominations.
==Official status==
A poll result released on June 17 2007 and conducted by Research New Zealand and involving 500 respondents from across New Zealand, found that the majority of New Zealanders were opposed to any such official status being granted. 58 per cent of people disagreed with making Christianity the official state religion and two thirds of people polled want schoolchildren to be taught about all the world's religions.
==Ecumenism and Cooperation==
There is very little sectarianism in New Zealand, and various churches commonly co-operate on issues of common interest. The main body working for cooperation and ecumenical relations across denominations is the [[Vision Network of New Zealand]], headed by [[Glyn Carpenter]]. Vision Network often submits on government policy and legislation relevant to the church in New Zealand, including the [[Civil Union Act 2004]] and the [[National statement on Religious Diversity (New Zealand)|National statement on Religious Diversity]]. Other groups promoting cooperation include the [[Uniting Congregations of Aotearoa New Zealand]], and church leaders have issued joint statements on a number of issues (for example, on the Iraq War).
==History==
The first Christian missionaries came to New Zealand at the start of the 19th Century. The [[Church Missionary Society]], an [[Anglican]] organisation, established a presence in New Zealand in 1814 with the permission and protection of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C4%81_Puhi Ngā Puhi] chief [[Ruatara]]. This expedition was led by [[Samuel Marsden]]. Later missionaries brought other religious denominations — [[Jean Baptiste Pompallier]] played an important role in establishing [[Roman Catholicism]], and [[Presbyterianism]] was brought to New Zealand largely by Scottish settlers. The Maori people also created their own forms of Christianity, with [[Ratana church|Ratana]] and [[Ringatu]] being the largest.
Although there was some [[anti-Catholic]] feeling in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this declined after the 1920s. Sectarian groups such as the [[Orange Order]] continue to exist in New Zealand but are now virtually invisible, and New Zealand's first Catholic Prime Minister, [[Michael Joseph Savage]], took office in 1935.
==Churches==
