The first Presb congr was founded in 1840 in Wellington by the Church of Scotland for settlers arriving from Glasgow. After the disruption in 1848 the Free Church sent ministers to care for the many immigrants throughout the country. Most notable was the Free Church settlement in Dunedin in the South Island where Presb formed the majority. The 19th century was a time of expansion among settlers; the church did not carry out missionary work among the Maori; however, it sent missionaries to the New Hebrides, China, and India, and worked among the Chinese in New Zealand. A number of heresy trials gave rise in 1892 to a Declaratory Act allowing �liberty of conscience in such matters as do not enter into the substance of faith.� Initially there were two churches, the Northern and the Southern; they united in 1901.
In 1876 Knox Theological Hall was established for the training of ministers and in the early 20th century secondary schools were opened in all the main cities. In 1902 the Young Men�s Bible Class Union, and two years later the Young Women�s Bible Class Union, were formed. For 50 years they were powers in the church. The New Life Movement in the �50s and early �60s brought rapid growth of new congr, and membership and Sunday school attendance. In 1945 a special Synod was set up for the relatively few Maori Presb. In 1970 when many Pacific Island Congreg joined the church, several Pacific Island congr were formed; the establishment of a special synod is currently under consideration.
 

 
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• Chinese
• English
• Indonesian
• Korean
• Mandarin
• Maori
• Samoan
• CookIsland
• Neuen
• Tokelanun

• Apostles´ Creed
• Westminster Confession (1646/47)
• Westminster Larger Catechism (1547)

• Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Church of Scotland
• Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu

International assiciations

• World Alliance of Reformed Churches
• World Council of Churches
• Council for World Mission