Jesus Christ is the head of the church and continues to care for her, lead her, and shepherd her until he comes again. He chooses to do this through the elders and deacons of the church (1 Peter 5:1-4).

Hence in our local church the elders are men who reflect the biblical requirements for elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7) and are appointed by the elders after an election by the communicant members. The elders are responsible for the preaching and teaching ministries of the church and meet with members to encourage their spiritual growth.

We also have deacons in our church who govern the church together with the elders. As with elders, these men are to reflect the biblical qualifications of deacons (1 Timothy 3: 8-13) and are appointed by the elders after their election by the congregation. The primary task of the deacons is to provide practical or financial help both in the church family and in the wider community.

Our Pastor

My name is Erik Stolte and I am the pastor of the Reformed Church of Dunedin. I am married to Georgina and we have been blessed with ten children.

Prior to being called to fulltime pastoral ministry I was a dairy farmer, farming close to Masterton, in the Wairarapa. It was an occupation I loved and enjoyed. However, in 2008, following my ever growing desire to train for the pastoral ministry, we packed up our family and moved to Chicago, USA, for three years. There I trained at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. On our return to New Zealand, we spent a year in Pukekohe, Auckland, as a vicar (intern) before receiving a call to serve the church in Dunedin in 2013.

I am now richly blessed to be serving God as the pastor of the Reformed Church of Dunedin. My deepest love is my Saviour who has saved and redeemed me. In all I do, I want to bring honour to him, leading others to love him also. In so doing, my joy is to serve this congregation, in preaching God’s Word and regularly visiting members of the church. I love to live with their joys and sorrows and constantly point them to this marvellous Saviour.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to talk about what is happening in your life or if you have any questions about the Christian faith or our church.