New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere located in the South Pacific Ocean.  The spirit of our nation is pioneering, and our mantle is JOY.  So as the International Christian Dance Fellowship was birthed in 1988, Aotearoa New Zealand was the first country to start a fellowship on 5 November of that year.

ICDF Aotearoa New Zealand founding scripture c.1988

‘Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.  The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs’     Isaiah 35:6-7a

ICDF Aotearoa New Zealand Vision

To be salt and light to our nation of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the world for the Glory of God,  as we gather to worship Him in spirit and in truth through the Creative Arts.

About Aotearoa New Zealand

Settled by Polynesians around 1300, New Zealand was later sighted by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty. Gaining full independence in 1947, it retains the U.K. monarch as head of state King Charles III and is represented in the nation by the governor-
general, Dame Cindy Karo. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy known for its high quality of life, civil liberties, and economic freedom.

Christianity in Aotearoa New Zealand arrived in December 1814 with the Anglican Church Missionary Society, U.K. who were welcomed onto Oihi beach by Rangihoua Chief Ruatara, in the Bay of Islands, Northland. Te Rongopai (The Good News) was first preached by Samuel Marsden on Christmas day 1814.  Within 35 years, 60% of Māori had adopted Christianity. Today, it remains the largest religion (37%), though 48% of New Zealanders now identify as non-religious.

Aotearoa New Zealand is a Pacific island nation comprising the North and South Islands and over 700 smaller islands. Known for its stunning landscapes, it has a population of 5.1 million, primarily of European descent, with Māori as the largest minority. Its culture blends Māori and British traditions, alongside growing multicultural influences.