Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning and the Baptist Union of New Zealand want the registration journey to be a meaningful and supportive process—one that strengthens you in ministry and resources your ongoing professional development.
By registering, you are affirming your commitment to ongoing growth in character, knowledge, and abilities that are essential for ministry within the Baptist Union of New Zealand. You are also committing to uphold our core distinctives and values as New Zealand Baptists.
Registration is open to everyone who meets the criteria—whatever your ministry role or context, across the recognised categories of Baptist Registration.
If you are re-applying for registration, please follow the steps below to guide your application. You’ll see we’ve captured many of the frequently asked questions we receive below :
My role, hours or endorser have changed – What do I need to do?
You will need to complete a new endorsement form signed by your endorser and upload it with your registration application. This ensures your registration reflects your current role and hours.
Steps to Follow
(1) Check your eligibility – Ensure you still meet all registration criteria:
- Ministering within a Baptist faith community, Baptist entity*, or approved body**
- Current member of a New Zealand Baptist Church
- Endorsed by your Baptist faith community/entity
- Minimum 40 hours/month (paid or voluntary)
- Current police vetting (pastoral) or Ministry of Justice check (other categories) For Baptist Registration, these need to be renewed every 2 years
(2) Update your endorsement form – Your endorser should be the person you directly report to, usually the one who conducts your annual review.
(3) Upload the form – Submit the completed and signed form with your registration application.
*A Baptist entity is an organisation that supports the work of the collective of Baptist churches e.g., Baptist Union of New Zealand, Carey Baptist College, NZBMS, Regional Association, Orbit, etc.
** An approved body is an organisation or trust that is owned by or strongly affiliated with a Baptist church or church e.g., Vision West, Archer Trust, Findlay Park Trust, Stepping Stones, CORT, etc.
Where can I find the endorsement form and who is my endorser?
The endorsement form can be found on our resources page or for ease of access is also linked here.
While the list below is not exhaustive, definitive list, the ‘rule of thumb’ is that your endorser is the person overseeing you in the role you are working in – the person you report to. The person endorsing you must be someone from the Baptist faith community/Baptist entity/approved body that you are employed by or volunteering for.
| Role / Category | Usual Endorser |
| Pastoral – Children/family, associate, youth pastors | Senior pastor or line manager |
| Pastoral – Senior pastors | Chair of Elders’ Board or nominated Elder |
| Pastoral – Interims | Representative from Elders’ Board of local church |
| Chaplaincy | Line manager or senior/sole pastor of church |
| Baptist entity applicants | Line manager; Regional Leaders → Chair of Regional Association |
| Ministry / Mission applicants | Person accountable for annual review of RDA |
| Kaiārahi Māori | Te Whāriki, governance group of Baptist Māori |
Your endorser is required to complete the form which you will then need to upload when completing your application to register.
Please note that this does NOT need to be uploaded each year, unless there are changes to your endorser or your role.
Who is my reviewer ?
This is the person you nominated to conduct the annual review of your Registration Development Agreement (RDA) during your last registration year. You should also meet with them in October to review your previous RDA and plan your RDA for the year ahead.
Usually, this person is the same as your endorser, but sometimes the church or organisation may appoint someone else to conduct the review, depending on the setting and role. Ideally, the reviewer should remain the same each year where possible, to provide consistency and build on previous planning—but we understand this is not always possible.
If you’re unsure who you nominated as your reviewer during your last RDA, please contact us at . lifelonglearning@carey.ac.nz
When can I register, and what does it cost?
Registration is an annual process which is open from 1st November each year and closes in mid December. In exceptional circumstances, applications will be considered outside of this period, on request and with agreement from a Regional Leader.
The current registration fees (November 2023) are determined by your working hours
- 40-79hrs/mth : $80
- 80+ hrs/mth and receives no MEA : $118
- 80+ hrs/mth and receives MEA : $155
Please note that your registration fee is non-refundable.
I'm about to complete my application to re-register - what do I need to have in place ?
Here is a handy checklist for you to have to make the application a little easier. There’s also a printable pre-registration checklist available here from our resources page
| Annual Review of 2025 RDA | Did I complete this in October with my reviewer | ☐ |
| 2026 RDA |
Do I have clear learning outcomes, showing what my focus is for the year ahead Learning activities clearly connected to me learning outcomes |
☐ |
| ☐ | ||
| Endorsement Form | If my role, hours, or endorser has changed , do I have a signed endorsement form, ready to upload? | ☐ |
| Current Police Vet or Ministry of Justice Check |
I’m applying under a pastoral category – Do I have current Police vet I’m applying under another category and do not directly work with or oversee the delivery of services to children, youth, and vulnerable people – Do I have a current MOJ check (NB these need renewal every 2 years) |
☐ |
| ☐ | ||
| Approved External Supervisor | Is my external supervisor from the Approved Supervisor Directory | ☐ |
| Credit Card | Do I have access to my credit card to make payment on submission of the application form | ☐ |
If you have any relevant ‘unticked’ boxes, please contact us prior to submitting your application
Where can I find more information on what is needed to complete my Registration Development Agreement (RDA) ?
As part of your registration being approved, there is a requirement to see a well thought through and planned personal growth and learning plan where learning outcomes are specifically stated and relate directly to the activities you have chosen to help outwork those learning outcomes. These should be planned during the Annual Review of your RDA and with your reviewer as each context, learning needs, plans will be unique. More information can be found here.
You will find other resources here
What are learning outcomes?
Learning outcomes describe what you aim to learn and apply in your ministry. These are distinct from learning activities, which are the methods or steps you take to achieve those outcomes – the how.
This difference is demonstrated in the table below :
| Learning Outcome (The “What”) | Activities (The “How”) |
|---|---|
| To be able to implement a new system and processes for improved pastoral care in my congregation. | • Attending “Designing pastoral care plans for your church” webinar with Phil Halstead (3hrs) • Read Strategic Pastoral Counselling by David G. Benner • Read Foundations of Pastoral Care – Bruce L. Petersen • Attend a two-day Ministries of Pastoral Care Workshop. |
| To be able to improve the ways that our young people engage with the Bible and are discipled. | • Participating in the Building a Discipling Culture programme (led by Crossway Baptist, Melbourne) • Reading the Fuller Youth Institute’s latest book, Faith Beyond Youth Group, and discuss with our youth leadership team • Attend the Intergenerate Conference – looking at how to be a church on an intergenerational journey |
Effective learning outcomes should be:
- Specific
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Reviewable (Measurable)
We recommend that learning outcomes be discussed and planned during the Annual Review of the RDA with your reviewer. These outcomes may align with the broader direction of your church or organisation for the year ahead.
As part of approving applications, there is an expectation that learning outcomes are clearly connected to the learning activities listed in the RDA.
The Annual Review of RDA Tool may assist in completing a full and thorough RDA review, and provides a useful format for constructing your learning outcomes
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