Henare Whaanga
Thinking Matters Speaker and Wellington Regional Director
Henare Whaanga is the Wellington Regional Director of Thinking Matters, passionate about apologetics, empowering others to defend their faith, and with a deep love for Māori history and culture.
With a heart for service and community impact, Henare strives to make a positive difference. As a loving father and frequent church speaker, he shares wisdom and insights to inspire and encourage.
Henare’s personal journey towards Christianity was influenced by his parents’ remarkable transformations. His father, an ex-mobster turned Christian evangelist, and his mother, a former Jehovah’s Witness, instilled in him a deep curiosity and desire to search for truth. However, his path was not without obstacles. As a teenager, he encountered numerous doubts and lingering questions that challenged his newfound Christian faith. Additionally, he faced formidable encounters with stern atheists – further shaking his convictions.
Nonetheless, God reignited his faith and he found better reasons to believe. From here on, Henare grew a passion to help ground Christians in their faith and engage atheists and agnostics in meaningful conversations. He believes that everyone should be prepared to give a reasoned defense for the hope that they have – knowledge he would have loved for his younger self!
Henare Whanga’s inspiring journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of faith, the importance of intellectual grounding, and the responsibility to engage in honest and compassionate dialogue about one’s own beliefs.
TOPICS
Christian Apologetics – “A three-step approach to defending your Christian faith”
The Gospel in Aotearoa – “The footprint of faith is deep and wide… but where did it begin?”
The Reliability of the Bible
TALKS
All talks are 40-45 minutes, however most can be adjusted to 30 minutes if necessary.
Contact details:
Email: henare@thinkingmatters.org.nz
Phone: 02108246278
