A Brief History of Rotorua Bible Baptist Church

Rotorua Bible Baptist Church was founded in 1970 by Neville Keys and his family. They started a Sunday School in the Buffalo Hall on View Road. The work eventually outgrew the premises. They shifted locations to the Sunset Intermediate School Hall and in August 1974 the name "Rotorua Bible Baptist Church" was adopted. Pastor Neville Keys continued to pastor the church until January 1984, when he left the church to start a new work in Whakatane.

The church continued with interim pastors until January 1987, when Pastor Tommy O'Dell from the USA was voted as pastor. The church also moved locations to the Westbrook School Hall. He pastored the church until April 1990. During this time (in 1988), the church purchased the land where the current building stands. In mid-1990 Pastor Paul Brinkman was voted as the new pastor. He pastored the church until February 1993. During this time the shell of the current building was completed. The first service in the building was the Christmas service of 1991. In July 1993 Pastor Shane Montgomery from the USA was voted as the new pastor. Under his leadership, the Lord has allowed the church to purchase the manse, complete the buildings, develop the property, begin many new ministries (including a Bible College), and the church has grown to an average of 160 people, larger than ever before. The vision for Rotorua Bible Baptist Church has never changed: to reach the lost in Rotorua and around the world, and to offer a place where God's people can be taught the Word of God in an environment of love and acceptance.