Who Leads Us

Our Pastors & Deacons

Christ is the head of each true New Testament church — these are the men He has given to serve it.

Pastor

Bob Rutta

B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

Pastor Bob Rutta grew up in West Virginia in the U.S. He trusted Christ as his personal Saviour at eight years of age.

When he was 18 he surrendered to the Lord's call to the ministry and transferred from the state university that he was attending so he could begin his training at Bible College.

While in Bible College he met and married his wife Diana. During the time when Bob and Diana were engaged they felt the Lord's call to go to New Zealand for ministry.

Bob has served in full-time ministry in New Zealand since 1988 — first planting a church in New Plymouth and then moving to Dunedin in 1998 to serve at Community Baptist Church.

Bob and Diana have four children: Robert Jr, Benjamin, Elisabeth, and Sarah.

Youth Pastor

Jeff Bustamante

Pastor Jeff, along with his wife Sunshine, leads the youth ministries in our church.

We have regularly scheduled youth meetings and activities. Our Youth Ministry is a combination of lots of fun along with a Bible-centred focus.

Servants of the Church

Our Deacons

Stan Rutherford and Jeff Bustamante serve as the deacons in our church. The word "deacon" means servant, and these men are wonderful examples of spiritual leaders with the heart of a servant. They both serve as helpers for the pastor while reaching out to those in the congregation to be a blessing and encouragement.

Stan Rutherford
Jeff Bustamante

Stan Rutherford, Pastor Bob Rutta and Jeff Bustamante

Who leads the church?

Christ is the head of each true New Testament church and it is our responsibility to follow His teachings as they are found in the Scriptures. The Bible is thus our authority in all matters of faith and practice. God has given us a pastor to lead us to be obedient to Christ. He is assisted by the deacons of the church.

What We Believe