McNee, Peter

1940- . After a short pastorate at Sunshine (Dunedin), McNee undertook missionary service in Bangladesh with N.Z.B.M.S. 1967-1977. He was involved in significant house rebuilding work in the aftermath of a major cyclone in 1970 and of the war of independence from (West) Pakistan in 1971. In 1972 he established a cottage industries program which at its height gave employment and income to up to 1500 impoverished women. He undertook a survey of the make-up of Bangladesh’s population 1974-1976, resulting in his publishing the ground-breaking church planting and church growth book, Crucial Issues in Bangladesh. This was a factor in the Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship, comprising 20 churches in 1980, setting growth goals for 200 churches by 1990, a target which was more than achieved. Health problems terminated the McNees’ service in Bangladesh. He was subsequently engaged in major leadership roles in World Vision, including being Executive Director for World Vision N.Z. (1980-1994), a Vicepresident for World Vision International and Senior Advisor to the Latin American region of World Vision. He is currently Chair of the national board of Bible College of New Zealand, of MASTERS Institute in New Zealand and of the conservative Christian think-tank, Maxim Institute. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992.