Good News for Aotearoa 2026: Wilberforce Foundation returns to Greenlane for a two-day evangelism gathering

Good News for Aotearoa 2026 is a two-day Christian evangelism conference that gathers evangelists, gospel workers and ministry leaders from across the country for what the organisers call "two catalytic days" aimed at motivating and equipping those doing gospel work. It runs Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October 2026, 9:00am to 4:30pm each day (doors from 8:30am), at The Journey Church in Greenlane, Auckland, and is the second edition of an event first held at the same venue on 10–11 October 2025.

Who runs it

The conference is organised by the Wilberforce Foundation, which describes itself as "a Christian philanthropic foundation, based in Aotearoa New Zealand" whose purpose is supporting Christian leaders and charitable organisations "to enable them to share with others the Good News of Jesus" (Wilberforce Foundation). The Foundation lists Good News for Aotearoa as its headline upcoming event on its own events page. The 2026 programme is built around keynote presentations and 18 local speaker sessions, with the keynote given by Dan Paterson of Questioning Christianity, described by the organisers as an evangelist, apologist and pastor.

Who it's for

The event is aimed squarely at practitioners rather than the general public: evangelists, gospel workers and ministry leaders from across Aotearoa, according to the Eventbrite listing. The organisers note the event is open to all ages, and the format is fully in person over both days, mixing keynote sessions with a large slate of local speaker sessions and worship.

The venue

The Journey Church sits at 1 Marewa Road, Greenlane, Auckland 1051, in an inner-southern suburb close to Cornwall Park, Ellerslie and the Greenlane and Ellerslie rail stations on Auckland's Southern Line. The church confirms free parking on site (a downloadable parking map is provided to visitors) and runs its own Destination Café, which suits a two-day programme where delegates remain on site through lunch. The location is convenient for delegates travelling in from around the wider Auckland region, being immediately off the Southern Motorway corridor and roughly 15km from Auckland Airport, with Greenlane and nearby Newmarket offering the closest concentrations of hotel and serviced-apartment accommodation for any out-of-town attendees staying over between the two days.

Why it matters for NZ MICE

Good News for Aotearoa is a clear example of the faith-based association and community-gathering segment that quietly fills mid-sized church and community venues around Auckland. Now in its second consecutive year at the same venue, it demonstrates repeat, multi-day association business anchored to a suburban Auckland church facility rather than a purpose-built conference centre, with a national delegate draw and a full two-day programme. For the sector it illustrates how established charitable foundations such as Wilberforce use accessible, transport-linked suburban venues with on-site catering and free parking to run recurring national gatherings.