Fielding & Manawatū
Jan McGaffin is the Team Leader of the Kaitiaki Leadership Team at The Hub Church Feilding and has been leading this team since December 2019. She has recently become the chair of the Feilding Christian Leaders Network. Jan has been involved with Church leadership for the last 40 years. She and Alan have 3 adult children and 1 granddaughter.
David Tweed is a pastor and professor based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He and his wife Paula lead Gateways Christian Fellowship, a church within the New Life Churches network, where David has served since 2001 and as senior leader since 2007. With a strong passion for prayer, unity, and spiritual renewal, he pioneered the Joel 2 Assemblies which resulted in seven years of Easter prayer and fasting gatherings in Palmerston North for God’s calling on New Zealand. He currently serves as Chair of the Palmerston North Christian Leaders Association (since March 2026), working to strengthen collaboration among churches and to see a vibrant, Christ-centred witness across the region.
Overview of the Region
The Manawatū region, centred on Palmerston North, is a key hub in New Zealand’s lower North Island. “Manawatū” means “heart standing still,” reflecting both the natural beauty and deep heritage of the area. [manawatunz.co.nz] Māori have lived here for centuries, with Rangitāne, Ngāti Raukawa, and Ngāti Kauwhata as tangata whenua. European settlement from the 1800s transformed the region into a farming and service centre, with Palmerston North developing into a strategic city for education, transport, and government services.
Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū is a region of strength and opportunity, but also spiritual need. As traditional faith declines, a space is opening; one that calls for faithful prayer, unity, and Spirit-led mission.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
Prayer Points:
1. Spiritual Renewal: That hearts would turn toward Christ in a searching culture.
2. Unity Across Churches and Cultures: Collaboration across denominations and ethnic communities.
3. Young People and Students: Encounter with God during formative years.
4. Families and Vulnerable Communities: Healing, restoration, and strengthening.
5. Leaders and Institutions: Wisdom for civic, health, education, and defence leaders.
6. Missional Clarity for the Church: Courage to engage a post-Christian society with love and truth.