125 years since Presbyterian church union
Shared from
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
First published 1 September 2026
The Presbyterian Research Centre has mounted a display in the Hewitson Wing of Knox College, Dunedin, marking 125 years since the Northern and Southern Presbyterian churches in New Zealand united in 1901.
The archivist, Rachel Hurd, tells how the Disruption of 1843 in the Church of Scotland led to a Free Church settlement in Otago and two separate churches, which after several attempts became one as the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Its first Moderator was Rev. Dr James Gibb of First Church, Dunedin.