Henare Whaanga is the Director of Māori Christian Apologetics (Whakaaro Hōhonu) at Thinking Matters, where he is passionate about equipping Māori and the wider Christian community to understand why they believe, confidently defend their faith, and engage with the big questions of life. With a deep love for Māori history, culture and whakapapa, Henare is particularly interested in exploring the relationship between Christian faith and Te Ao Māori.

Henare’s journey to a grounded Christian faith began with the remarkable transformations in his own family. His father, a former mobster turned Christian evangelist, and his mother, a former Jehovah’s Witness, helped spark his curiosity and desire to seek truth. Yet his faith was not without challenges. As a teenager, he wrestled with difficult questions and doubts, while encounters with outspoken atheists further challenged his convictions.

Rather than abandoning his faith, Henare began searching for better reasons to believe. As God strengthened his convictions, that personal journey developed into a passion for apologetics and helping others navigate the questions that can challenge their faith.

Through his Faith & Whakapapa one-day event, Henare explores a biblical approach to understanding Māori identity, history and whakapapa, helping participants navigate the relationship between their Māori heritage and Christian faith. His teaching encourages thoughtful engagement with cultural perspectives while remaining firmly grounded in Scripture.

Today, Henare is committed to equipping Christians with the knowledge and confidence to give a reasoned defence for the hope they have, while engaging with others with honesty, humility and compassion. As a father and regular church speaker, he brings a personal and approachable perspective to his teaching, driven by a desire to give others the answers and foundations he wishes he had when he was younger.

henare@thinkingmatters.org.nz

Footprints of Faith: The Gospel in Aotearoa (50min Talk)
–  Follow a story transformation as the Gospel message impacts the east coast changing the trajectory of māori and see how christianity was embraced, not forced.

Faith & Whakapapa: Navigating Te Ao Maori in the Church (45min interactive session) (Can be a 30min talk)
– From the Faith & Whakapapa Wānanga comes a brief look at how the New Zealand church went from being māori led, māori built, māori filled, healthy and growing to asking why are māori leaving the churches? A talk highlighting the issues surrounding māori departure from organised church.

Māori & Christian: Ko wai te rangatira? (35mins Talk)
– Can you be Māori and christian? Is ‘mere-christianity’ culture less? We talk about navigating the Māori world as christians – what about navigating the Christian world as Māori?

Te Pā Kaha: A Maori Christian Approach to Apologetics (35mins Talk)
– A faithful, biblically‑rooted, and culturally intelligent approach to evangelism and apologetics that reveals Jesus the resurrected King and speaks clearly into the real worldviews shaping Aotearoa today.

How to Fight: A 3-step approach to Christian Apologetics (45min Interactive session)
– An introduction to applying Christian Apologetics. Interactive, Fun and funny! Based on the Book “Tactics” by renowned christian apologist Greg Koukl.

The Faith & Whakapapa Wānanga: A Biblical Approach To Navigating Te Ao Māori (4hour Workshop) *Most Popular
“Attendees will enter into a supportive space to explore, engage and wrestle with the māori worldview and it’s many facets to discover how Faith & Whakapapa might be held together . . . or not.”