West Harbour Alliance Church

Pastoral Profile 2014

This document has been created to provide prospective pastors a fuller understanding of
West Harbour Alliance Church and the type of Pastor the church is seeking to hire. After a
season of prayer, seeking the Lord as to whether prospective candidates should pursue next
steps with us, interested pastors may contact the National Director of the Alliance Churches
of New Zealand, Andrew Marshall, at the following address:

Contact Information:
Andrew Marshall National Director
andrew@alliancechurches.org.nz
0800.692.262





















Introduction

West Harbour Alliance Church will be without a Pastor from June 2014. In preparation for
this time, an intentional transitional process has been implemented in order to help prepare
the church for a thoughtful pastoral search. This Pastoral Search Profile has been developed
as part the transitional process in order to help the WHAC family have a better understanding
of itself as a church body, to help guide the Search Team, Board of Elders and congregation
to explore Gods direction in seeking for a Lead Pastor, and to present a comprehensive and
accurate picture of West Harbour Alliance Church to prospective pastors by answering the
following questions:

I. Who were we?
II. Who are we now?
III. What is our community context?
IV. Who do we hope to become? (Purpose Mission Vision)
V. What kind of Pastoral Leader do we need?

Diligence and Discernment
At the heart of this process are two critical steps. The first is due diligence - making certain
that the profiles developed are accurate. The number one reason most pastoral searches fail is
that the pictures each side presents to the other are not complete. The board of elders and
search team agree that the due diligence factor is paramount in this current search process.
The second critical step is spiritual discernment, trusting not only in a due diligence process
but also in the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the church and the prospective Lead Pastor.
Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

I. Who were we? The History of West Harbour Alliance Church
West Harbour Alliance Church was planted out of First Alliance Church (now Blockhouse
Bay Community Church) in 1977 by Rev. Royce and Betty Rexilius , Alliance Missionaries
from the USA (www.cmalliance.org/about; www.alliancechurches.org.nz), with a strong
passion to reach out into the community, and a commitment to prayer. Before land could be
purchased and an initial facility built, a small group of people met at the home of Linda and
Melvin Alexander for a number of weeks, and then eventually shifted to the Staff Room of
the Royal Road School, where 21 people became foundation members on September 13,
1979.

After only a few months, 4 sections of land were purchased on the crest of the hill at the
corner of Moire and Luckens roads so that this young church "could be a light to the
community". This was truly a visionary decision, for at this time, the only neighbours were
empty sections marked out by surveying pegs, and the livestock from the deer farm across
Luckens road! But as time passed, the four sections were amalgamated into one, a facility
was built with considerable amounts of volunteer labour, and the church family grew steadily
as at least 44 people were baptized and 33 children were dedicated to the Lord in the first 8
years of the churchs existence.

The church at this time grew to be known for Pastor Rexs uncompromising passion for the
Word of God, and his strong preaching. The church was fairly conservative in its theology,
and its expression of worship (hymns, discomfort with sign gifts of the Spirit), and had a very
strong emphasis on Missions work and awareness.

The facility was extended in the mid-1980s, with a total indebtedness of approximately
$120,000 a figure that was kept down thanks to generous amounts of volunteer labour.
Pastor Rex and Betty spent over ten great years in New Zealand before returning to their
home in the US shortly after Betty contracted cancer.

Unfortunately, after the Rexilius left, a large percentage of the church family left for other
fellowships, and the church went without a pastor for a number of years. With a high
mortgage and low attendance (and giving), the church was financially strapped throughout
the 1990s. This decade marked a period of real struggle in the church, with little sense of
direction and many internal issues so much so that while the community around us was
growing very rapidly with new housing, the church continued to falter.

In spite of the struggles however, the Sunday School ministry thrived under the leadership of
Barry and Pauline Thomas (who filled their van with neighbourhood kids and brought them
to church!), and a really strong core of members began to form as people started getting
together outside of the Sunday morning gathering. Frank Marshall and Barry Charlton were
appointed by the National Leadership to assume the pastoral duties in 1994, and they did a
good job of holding the church together while paying off the debt over the following 10
years.

After the resignation of Pastor Frank Marshall, it became apparent that new leadership was
needed to develop the church, and the National Leadership Team started praying for a young
pastoral couple, preferably from overseas, to come and take up the leadership of West
Harbour Alliance. In Gods providential plan, at this time, Pastor Matthew Mordaunt and his
wife Sharilyn were praying for the Lords direction for their future ministry, and asking Him
whether they should inquire about possibilities in New Zealand. As the Lord opened their
hearts to this possibility, He also continued to open doors with the various governmental
bodies, allowing them to begin their ministry in July 2006.

By this time, the church had lost its sense of vision and purpose, and over the next14 months,
the leadership of WHAC prayed and talked and searched the scriptures in order to discover
that West Harbour Alliance Church had been called to Help People Move From Brokenness
to Wholeness in Christ. Over the course of the next 8 years, the church grew quickly from an
average attendance of 30 people from every decade of life to just over 50 people, with a
considerable portion of that growth occurring through young families. 11 people made
professions of faith, and 3 people were baptized. The churchs budget tripled, enabling the
church to go off of their financial support from the National Body, but unfortunately, this
growth and vigour faded away, and a casualness seemed to sweep through the church towards
ministry and the Lord. Synergy was lost, leading towards a plateau that lasted for years. In
2012, a renovation was undertaken in order to build bridges into the community by the
opening of a private Christian Childcare Centre through the generous support of Praveen and
Ana Motupally, (which brought with it a sense of growth and life) but little was done to
maximize the ministry potential that the Kindy brought. A number of other initiatives were
undertaken to help the church to grow in Prayer, Evangelism, Fellowship, Discipleship,
Ministry, and Worship.
II. Who are we now?
In the first term of 2014, WHAC had an average attendance of 55 people (22 members) that
was made up of 25 families from at least 10 different nationalities. What unites this church is
language, location, and a common love for Jesus. The church is a very warm and inviting
group with a number of people having made this their church home for much of the past 20
years, while a large percentage of the church family have been attending for less than 5 years.

As of April, 2014, there are 8 children under the age of 5, and an additional 5 between the
ages of 5&10. 5 teenagers attend sporadically, 6 20 somethings, 7 people in their 30s, 6
people in their 40s, 8 in their 50s, 13 people in their 60s, and 7 people 70 years old or better.

Current descriptors of WHAC:
- Current operating budget of $81,000 with no indebtedness ($64K general giving,
$16.5K rent, $500 interest)
- Driven by a few committed people; few people take big chunks of ministry.
o Lacks vision and drive
- Financially stretched but well managed with a functional facility
- Small, friendly congregation. Warm, inviting, and accepting of others. Family feel
- Demographically mismatched with its community: higher percentages of 60+ and
those under the age of 10 than the surrounding community; lower percentage of those
particularly in their 20s and 40s.
- Close to 2/3 of attendees came from another church, roughly 15% grew up in the
church, and another 16% came to faith through the ministries of WHAC.
- Strengthening Childrens Ministry
- Sincere, reserved worship (blend of new and old worship songs some hymns,
choruses, modern worship songs). Its honest and real. Not a show/performance.
- Desire to reach out and impact the community
- Willing to take wise, thought through risks
- Enjoys strong preaching
- People are safe here. Accepted as is. Not judged by your background.
- Deep faith and love for the Lord
- Many young families
- Building looks empty and unfriendly to people passing by.
- The people are authentic, and are truly glad to see you.


Current Ministries of WHAC:
- Childrens Ministries: Preschool, Sunday School
- Sunday support ministries: Music Ministry, Pre-service prayer ministry, Newsletter,
Morning Tea by rostered rotation.
- Leadership: Elders Board (overseeing the health and growth of the church), Executive
Committee (overseeing the facility and finances of the church)
- Prayer ministries: Wednesday night, Inter-church Intercessors
- Outreach ministries: Ladies Boot Camp, Community Christmas Celebration
(Historically, we have also tried a Kids Clothing Exchange, a Community Family Fun
Day, a Breakfast Club in Colwill School, and a Community Choir)
- Fellowship ministries: Table for 8, Circle Church Sundays, Special events
(Thanksgiving supper, Guy Fawkes), Home Bible studies, Monthly Girls Night
- Discipleship ministries: West Harbour Gardens Seniors Home ministry (monthly
service), Home Bible studies, Missions trips with National Body, Church library
What is valued by the people of WHAC:
- Time with family & friends
- Integrity
- Security in finances (dont want to be left wanting)
- Biblical teaching
- Relationship with God; Growing in ones personal faith
- Comfort and safety
- Personal leisure time
- Being encouraged rather than pushed
- Peace and purpose in life
- Gods word

Leadership Structure:
The church is governed by an Elders Board, which is comprised of four members, including
the pastor, who also serves as the Elders Board Chairman. They are responsible for the
health and growth of the church, and all committees (except for the Nominations Committee)
are accountable to the Elders Board. This is a vision setting and progress monitoring group
who also ensure that the teaching received by WHAC is orthodox, and that pastoral care of
the congregation is provided for. Currently, there are two Elders serving at WHAC.

The Executive Committee is responsible to care for the churchs facilities and financial
matters. Following the Mordaunts departure, there will be two Elders serving at WHAC:
Naren Nanjan (Vice-Chair) and Tom McKean (Treasurer). This group sets and monitors the
churchs annual budget, commissions work to be done on the facility, and approves of any
additional offerings taken on a Sunday morning (outside of the regular weekly offering).


What were bad at:
With the church being small, we lose a lot of newcomers because we dont have ministries
for their whole family (Youth and Young Adults primarily). To compound this problem, it
has been difficult to get new people to take on positions of leadership and while some have
stepped forward, it has typically been for shorter periods of time.

WHAC has also been bad a promoting itself, and needs to make a better first impression on
the community (through events, personal invites, and potentially a new name as the
Alliance is a source of suspicion among passers-by). Our facility (and grounds) often times
looks old, empty and tired not at all inviting.


III. What is our Community Context?

West Harbour Alliance Church is situated on the crest of a hill that serves as the dividing line
between the regions of Luckens Point and West Harbour. The difference between these two
communities, in terms of age and average household income, is significant. Thankfully,
these distinctions do not divide the congregation at WHAC, as we have people from both
areas gathering and fellowshipping together on a regular, and natural, basis.

Further afield, we also draw people from Royal Heights (2 KMs from the church) and
Whenuapai (4 KMs from the church). These two communities are also very different from
each other, in that Whenuapai is home to one of NZs Air Force bases, and so is largely
flavoured by Air Force personnel, while Royal Heights resembles West Harbour to a large
degree with many young families and a lower median income.

Each of these areas are very multicultural, with a higher percentage of Asians and Europeans
living in Luckens point, a very high percentage of Europeans living in Whenuapai, and a high
percentage of Europeans and Pacific Islanders living in both Royal Heights and West
Harbour. Single parent families are not uncommon, and neither is drug abuse (Pot and P are
both big problems in West Auckland). There is a surprisingly high degree of people who
have completed both High School and have received a post-secondary qualification.




West Harbour Total residents: 4,929
Average Age: 30

Total numbers of residents/percentage of population:
0-4 549 [11%]; 5-9 450 [9%]; 10-19 660 [13.4%]; 20-29 810 [16%]; 30-39 786
[16%]; 40-49 690 [14%]; 50-59 540 [11%]; 60-69 309 [6%]; 70+ 126 [3%];


Luckens Point Total residents: 5,235
Average Age: 39

Total numbers of residents/percentage of population:
0-4 312 [6%]; 5-9 327 [6%]; 10-19 774 [15%]; 20-29 624 [12%]; 30-39 612 [12%];
40-49 854 [16%]; 50-59 816 [16%]; 60-69 567 [11%]; 70+ 345 [6%];


Royal Heights Total residents: 6,144
Average Age: 34

Total numbers of residents/percentage of population:
0-4 480 [8%]; 5-9 453 [7%]; 10-19 981 [16%]; 20-29 900 [15%]; 30-39 837 [14%];
40-49 843 [14%]; 50-59 738 [12%]; 60-69 537 [9%]; 70+ 350 [6%];


Whenuapai Total residents: 2,037
Average Age: 33

Total numbers of residents/percentage of population:
0-4 147 [7%]; 5-9 120 [6%]; 10-19 270 [13%]; 20-29 381 [19%]; 30-39 321 [16%];
40-49 318 [16%]; 50-59 252 [12%]; 60-69 147 [7%]; 70+ 84 [4%]




- There are 18,345 residents living within WHACs (reasonable) catchment area.
IV. Vision - Who Do We Hope to Become?
1. Defining Vision

Vision is forward thinking. Vision is more about what we hope to become, about what we
believe God is saying to us about our unique, specific purpose our heartbeat as a church.
Vision is more than what all churches should be about, it is about what we believe is our
specific God-appointed future and destiny as a body of believers. A clear vision will tell us
what we are to do and what we are not to do.

In 2007, the membership adopted a mission statement that read helping people move from
brokenness to wholeness in Christ, and in line with that, WHAC longs to be there for
people in their time of need. The church wants to be community focussed with strong
evangelistic preaching and outreach that is used by God to draw people to faith in Jesus
Christ. A rehabilitation centre for the broken of the world. A hospital for people in the
community needing spiritual help, guidance, and training.

When asked what they wanted the church to be noted for in the future, respondents also
indicated a desire to be:
- Friendly to outsiders;
accommodating
- Unthreatening as we welcome new
comers and serve them.
- Being an open and welcoming
church
- That more families get to know
that the doors are always open no
matter what the situation may be.
To have a caring dynamic
- Apathy to an indulgent world
- Passionate worship in many forms
- Spiritually vibrant and alive
- Sharing the true gospel and
listening to and loving people
- A grace driven ministry
- People full of love, joy, and the
Fruit of the Spirit
- A church that goes deep into the
Word
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0-4s 5-9s 10-19s 20-29s 30-39s 40-49s 50-59s 60-69s 70+
Community
WHAC
Hopes and dreams
As is the case with many churches, WHAC longs to grow numerically, and to see the obvious
power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Such a move of the Holy Spirit is understood
differently by the various members of the church, with some very comfortable with the
mysterious/sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, and others decidedly not.

Nevertheless, WHAC longs to be a prayerful church that is a blessing to the community,
serving broken people with the variety of gifts and people that God has given to this church.
V. What Kind of Pastoral Leader Do We Need?

The information provided in this profile has been developed with the help of the congregation
of West Harbour Alliance Church, in order to have a greater sense of clarity about what kind
of Pastor the church needs at this point in its journey. Applicants are required to be
accredited (licensed) with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and ordained or prepared to
pursue ordination with the C&MA.
It is also imperative that applicants have a deep commitment to the core values and theology
of the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a desire to participate in denominational
initiatives.

Character Competencies

with a
deep love for the Word, who is sensitive to the
leading of the Holy Spirit, and devoted to prayer.
Someone with a genuine interest and love for
people of all ages.
God, and
faith in God that inspires others to the same.
tes a self-disciplined
life through the ability to manage time well, to
follow through, and get things done.
working together collaboratively with others.
sense of their identity and primary passions.
and family life.
encountered Jesus Christ.
of integrity and transparency in communication,
finances, commitments, and confidentiality.
responsibility and ownership for actions.
and commitment to the church, with the ability to
accept and withstand criticism.


the Word in order to evangelize, equip, & inspire
someone
who understands grace, and personally engages in
and passionately encourages both community
outreach and foreign missions.
spiritually gifted leader who can collaborate
with the Board of Elders in the pursuit of vision,
seeking Gods direction for the body.
who is able to motivate and equip a
very diverse congregation to do the work of
ministry through the development of their gifts
that does not polarize.
Biblical manner.
with an understanding of
what is going on in the community and is able to
develop teaching, preaching and ministries that
are relevant.
bility to develop and implement strategic
plans to achieve mission and vision.
as well as the
next generation of leaders.

A self-motivator who can relate to people of
diverse backgrounds (culturally, materially)
The Pastoral Search Process for West Harbour Alliance Church

Our local church constitution states that: The pastor shall be called by the Elders Board upon
approval by the church membership and the National Director. The Elders Board shall not
negotiate with any candidate without the approval of the National Director. Article VII A -
Local Church Constitution of the West Harbour Alliance Church.

As such, the Pastoral Search process will run as follows:

Step #1 - Consult with the National Director to discuss the process.

Step #2 - Compile a Pastoral Profile document to guide the process

Step #3 - Appoint a Search Committee.

Step #4 Gather and filter resumes in consultation with the Pastoral Profile document and
the National Director.

Step #5 - The Search Committee conducts initial interviews with prospective candidates who
fit the profile. This work is done in order to develop a short list of candidates to present to the
Board of Elders. Once a short list has been presented the work of the search committee is
complete unless the Board requires further work to be done.

Step #6 - Board of Elders conduct pre-candidating interviews with candidates from the short-
list. Pre-candidating is an initial private process where the candidates names are not made
public. The church may confidentially pre-candidate multiple potential candidates.

Step #7 - Contact an individual for formal candidating with the approval of the National
Director. Time is given for the prospective pastor to respond to the invitation to candidate at
the church.

Step #8 - The formal candidating experience comprises a process whereby the prospective
Senior Pastor comes to the church to meet the congregation, preaches, interacts with leaders,
and goes through an interview process. Only one person may be candidated at a time and a
"yes" or "no" decision must be made by the congregation before moving to the next potential
candidate. If the decision is negative, the Board returns to step #7. If positive, the Board and
the National Director work out the details for the arrival and introduction of the new Pastor.





Diligence and Discernment At the heart of this process are two critical steps. The first is due
diligence - making certain that the profiles developed are accurate. The number one reason
most pastoral searches fail is that the pictures each side presents to the other are not complete.
The board of elders and search team agree that the due diligence factor is paramount in this
current search process. The second critical step is spiritual discernment, trusting not only in a
due diligence process but also in the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the church and the
prospective Lead Pastor. Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord
determines his steps."