Why Carey

For 93 years Carey has served the church in New Zealand by producing leaders for ministry and mission.

At Carey we believe the Bible is the foundation for understanding God, understanding the world, understanding ourselves, understanding the church and understanding mission.

We invite you to come and be part of all God is doing in and through us.

Welcome to Carey

Carey’s calling is to equip Christians to think, lead, and serve in ways that will advance God’s mission in this world. We specialise in training people preparing for pastoral and mission leadership, but we provide a range of training pathways for anyone wanting to grow in their faith and participate more fully in God’s work of renewing this world.

Since 1926, Carey has grown from a denominational seminary into an NZQA accredited broad‑based theological college serving not just the Baptist movement but the wider church of New Zealand.

Our training emphasises formation of the whole person. We believe that faithful discipleship and fruitful ministry require the development of biblical convictions, practical skills, emotional health, and spiritual depth.

We want our graduates to possess the conviction, competencies, and character to participate faithfully in the mission of God and make a difference in this world. We believe the way to develop such knowledge, skills, and maturity is through applied theology that integrates your faith, your context and your practice.

Our graduates have gone on to become pastors, mission co-ordinators, youth leaders and church planters. Others serve in ministries such as chaplaincy, advocacy, non-profit organisations, or continue within the marketplace.

While we serve the largely evangelical-charismatic family of churches in the Baptist Union of New Zealand, about 40% of our students are drawn from other Christian streams.

What we do

Ā mātou mahi

We help you answer the question “how can I participate faithfully in God’s work in this world?”

We are one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading providers of theological education. Based in Auckland, but with a strong distance learning programme, Carey is the highest ranked research institution in New Zealand outside of the universities.

Carey specialises in training leaders for ministry and mission.

Our core academic programmes are the Bachelor of Applied Theology and Master of Applied Theology, but we offer applied theological qualifications from Certificate level.

Carey is the only tertiary education organisation in Aotearoa delivering degree-level study in applied theology and the only NZQA accredited theological programme in Mandarin.

Alongside these academic programmes, we provide a range of non-formal ministry and mission tracks. These combine intensive personal mentoring with supervised ministry or mission experiences to help students integrate their head, hands, and heart.

  • Pastoral Leadership Training
  • Youth Pastoral Leadership Training
  • Children & Family Leadership
  • Ethnic Ministry Training
  • Mission Track
  • Pastoral Care
  • Intermission
  • Ngā Pou Amorangi
  • Carey Centre for Lifelong
Find out more about these options

Who we are

Ko te kareti iriiri mātou

A college that is gospel-centred

Jesus is our focus. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour of the world. We want our students through their studies to grow in their love for Jesus, their faith in Jesus, their hope in Jesus. Study at Carey will enable you to participate more fully in his life and ministry.

The Bible is our basis. Our curriculum and our community are marked by a deep regard for Scripture. We believe it is the inspired Word of God in which we encounter Jesus, through which the Spirit breathes life into his church and world. Study at Carey will deepen your love for the Bible and your ability to hear God’s word.

The gospel is our message. We’re gripped by the good news of God’s kingdom. We long to see it transforming people and places throughout Aotearoa, and beyond. Study at Carey will enrich your appreciation for the message of God’s grace.

The church is our community. As a college, we serve the church of New Zealand in all its diverse expressions. We value our close relationship with Christian communities and organisations and we’re committed to providing them with the best training and lifelong learning.

Mission is our calling. Carey’s heart is an outstanding ministry and mission training programme which combines rigorous academic research with innovative ministry formation. We long to see Christian communities engaging effectively in the mission of God.

Find out more about our story

Vibrant and Caring Community

Oranga Hapori

Community is at the heart of Carey. 

At Carey we have deeply relational pedagogy. With our Baptist whakapapa, we expect to encounter Christ in the gathered community. We make space for relationship and conversation. Onsite students and staff worship in chapel and eat meals together each week. Online students have ready access to lecturers by phone, email and video connection. Carey is a supportive community.

It’s also a diverse community. Carey has developed from a denominational seminary into a broad-based theological college serving not only the Baptist denomination but the wider church of Aotearoa. Our staff and student body represent a wide range of denominations.

The Carey community is also increasingly diverse culturally. We are deeply committed to the vision of Te Tiriti of Waitangi. We delight in offering New Zealand’s only NZQA accredited theological programme entirely in Mandarin. We aspire to be an intercultural learning community where students can develop the cross-cultural competencies crucial to effective ministry in a world shaped by unprecedented global migration.

Carey Staff

Nga Kaikauwhau

At Carey you will interact with teachers who are both highly qualified academics and experienced practitioners.

Carey’s teaching team is world-class. They are globally respected for their academic research and highly integrative approach to theology. Nationally, Carey is the highest ranked non-university research institution in the country.

Carey’s staff are also deeply involved in their local faith communities, where they are engaged in ministry and mission. This combination of academic rigour and practical ministry experience is reflected in our training. Lecturers regularly enrich their teaching with stories drawn from their practical experience. Theological ideas are grounded in the realities of ministry and mission today.

Carey’s teaching team take seriously the values of ako and whakawhanaungatanga. They recognise and draw out the collective experience of student cohorts, while taking a genuine personal interest in their students and their formation.

Find out more

Take a tour of the campus

Haere mai ki te haerere o oranga.

Discover what it’s like to study on-site at Carey.

 

te kakahu ō te tumuaki

The Principal’s cloak.

This cloak is very special to Carey. It was created for the Principal of Carey and represents who we are as a learning community:

The row of white feathers is a sign of leadership. The black feathers tinged with iridescent blues and greens represent the coming of the light of the gospel to Aotearoa, and reminds us of all those who went before and created a way for us today (Hebrews 12:1).

The triangular niho taniwha pattern on the braid represents the triune God and is also a fighting pattern reminding us of the need for strength and resilience to succeed in theological education.

The poutama pattern, commonly known as ‘steps to heaven,’ signifies the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in making us more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The colours of the poutama indicate that all people are welcome at Carey and remind us of the great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language that will one day worship before the throne and the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10).

Applied Theology

Carey is the only tertiary education organisation in Aotearoa, New Zealand delivering degree level study in applied theology.

The intended outcome of a student’s study is transformation – for the student and their leadership practice, as well as for the contexts in which they operate.

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Flexible Study Options

Ngā whiringa pīngore mo ngā ākonga.

We offer a range of course delivery options with the aim of making study as accessible as possible for you including on-site, distance, block courses, field education, part-time study. Over half of our students study off-site.

Centre for Chinese Research & Training 中文部研训中心

Wātaka hainamana

Carey is the only tertiary education organisation (TEO) in Aotearoa, New Zealand accredited to offer any programme entirely in Mandarin.

Delivery of its Level 5 and 6 academic programmes in Mandarin supports the needs of the Chinese community for the development of leaders within its churches.

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Māori at Carey

Ngā ākonga māori

At Carey we aspire to be a community of faith and learning where our Māori students are participating, teaching, and learning as Māori.

Find out more about our Tiriti hikoi and what that means for you, as Māori, here at Carey.

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Alumni and Friends

ō mātou ākonga paetahi

We pray that our graduates will be leaders, thinkers, and risk-takers; people who are innovative, globally aware, outward looking, and very God-dependent.

Our graduates include pastors, mission co-ordinators, youth leaders, church planters, armed forces chaplains, advocates and those working in academic positions and in non-profit organisations. Others continue within the marketplace intersecting their faith with chosen vocation.

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Accreditations & Associations

Ngā tohutuku me ngā roopū

Carey is proud to be affiliated with and adhere to the high standards of quality teaching of the accreditation bodies and associations.

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Our Location

Ā mātou wāhi

Carey is situated in the suburb of Penrose, a very central location about 10kms south of Auckland CBD.

The campus is very close to the Southern motorway and in close proximity to train stations and bus routes.

There is plenty of free parking spaces on-site for students and visitors. View Map.

Need to book accommodation while you are visiting Carey? There are a number of options in walking distance or within a short taxi ride. Find out more here

When you study at Carey you will...

Prospectus 2020

Accommodation Near Carey

External Evaluation and Review (EER Report)

Career Opportunities

Alumni Stories

Rob Stacey

“After several enjoyable years of ministry, I sensed I needed to be better equipped to engage scripture, faith, mission and culture for those God had called me to. Like many I came looking to complete a degree and to gain a qualification. What I received was a nurturing and formational education for faith-filled living and leadership among Gods people… not to mention a renewed passion for the Gospel and its transformative and eternal impact through Jesus. Carey was the right choice.”