About Us - Mō Mātou

Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to Kei Muri Māpara, the digital collections of the Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives.

The name Kei Muri Māpara was gifted to the Archives by Te Taha Māori – its meaning is:

Kei beyond the present, the former, the previous

Muri looking back

Māpara is a place in time, the writings, stories and reflections of history

Our collections span more than 200 years of New Zealand history, from Māori and missionaries, women and the vote, through to social reform and justice. We are the national archive for the Methodist Church and hold records from all across Aotearoa.

We invite you to delve into our fascinating and extensive digital collections of newspapers, publications, photographs, memorabilia, manuscripts, official proceedings and reports, and audio-visual material dating from 1817 to the present day.  

Whether you're here for a browse, or to dig a bit more deeply, we hope that you enjoy your journey of exploration into the rich documentary taonga that we care for, and should you need any help, research guidance is just a click away. 

We add new items and collections weekly, so please visit the site often – and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or comments, we’re here to help!

If you'd like a virtual tour of the site, please click here.

Our Whakapapa

▪  1927: Conference appointed Joint Custodians of Early Church Records, the Connexional Secretary (Christchurch) M. A. Rugby Pratt, and the Theological College Principal (Auckland).
▪  1937-1939: Typed transcription by Connexional Office in Christchurch of 1330 documents lent by the Methodist Missionary Society in London (reports and letters of early NZ missionaries - now MS-39).
▪  1978: A report to Conference results in the first appointment of a part-time archivist and librarian within the Connexional Administration Division in Christchurch – prior to this archival work had been undertaken on a voluntary basis. (From 1978 onwards, the National Archivists of the Methodist Church of New Zealand have been Jan Hepplethwaite, Marcia Baker, Jo-Anne Smith, Jennie Hood, and Katherine Doig; and in 2024 Emanuella de Ruiter was appointed the first Digital Archivist).
▪  1984: Auckland Methodist Archives established, and until its closure in 2018, the successive archivists there were George Carter, Verna Mossong, Hazel Simpkin, Jill Weeks, and Cynthia McKenzie.
▪  1987: The P.A.C. Endowment Trust for Archives and Resource Material established.
▪  2018: Auckland Methodist Archives closed - material transferred to Kei Muri Māpara. Some archives are still held in Auckland by Te Taha Māori.
▪  2023: We commenced our digital transformation, acquiring Recollect CMS.

Content Warning - He Whakatūpato Kupu Kiko

Please be aware that our holdings include archives that contain language and views now considered outdated or offensive, or other information that may be considered disturbing. These archives reflect the era in which they were created and should be interpreted with historical awareness; they do not represent the values of the Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives.

We appreciate that some archives can be confronting and upsetting to some people, and advise that due care and consideration is taken when accessing them.

Should you wish to submit a request to have specific material removed from our website, please follow the steps outlined in our Takedown Policy.