Bill van Rij was a significant figure in Christian politics in New Zealand. He was the principal founder of the Christian Heritage Party. This article examines Christian politics in New Zealand. ... Christian Heritage New Zealand (formerly known as the Christian Heritage Party) is a New Zealand political party promoting Christian-based social conservatism. ...

Born in the Netherlands, van Rij moved to New Zealand in 1951. Settling in Christchurch, he became a businessman, working for an ice cream company. He was strongly religious, being a follower first of the Reformed churches and then (beginning in the early 1960s) of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. In 1985, he participated in the founding of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, a union of conservative (mainly Christian) lobby groups. 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... For other uses, see Christchurch (disambiguation). ... Missing image Ice cream is often served on a stick Boxes of ice cream are often found in stores in a display freezer. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organisationally independent. ... This article is about the year. ...

After the 1987 elections, in which the socially liberal Labour Party won re-election, van Rij decided that pressure groups were inadequate for promoting Christian values in the political sphere. Instead, he came to believe that only direct participation in politics through a Christian political party would be effective. As inspiration, van Rij looked to the Christian Heritage Party of Canada — the party's founder, Ed Vanwoudenberg, was also a Dutch immigrant, and had connections to the Reformed churches. Vanwoudenberg and van Rij discussed Christian politics at length, and in 1987, van Rij was invited to attend the Canadian party's first national conference. The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ... The Christian Heritage Party of Canada is a federal political party in Canada. ... Ed Vanwoudenberg was head of a minor Canadian political party, the Christian Heritage Party of Canada, from the partys founding in 1987 to 1991. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1988, van Rij began the process of establishing a Christian Heritage Party of New Zealand, modeled on the Canadian party. A preliminary meeting was held at the Marlborough Sounds home of Rod Eatwell, a friend of van Rij. John Allen, a former National Party candidate, became the group's interim political leader, while van Rij remained concerned mainly with organisational matters. The Christian Heritage Party was officially launched on 20 July 1989. Later, Graham Capill was appointed leader of the party, probably without van Rij's backing. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII in Roman) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Christian Heritage New Zealand (formerly known as the Christian Heritage Party) is a New Zealand political party promoting Christian-based social conservatism. ... Sea kayakers in the Marlborough Sounds. ... Current National Party logo The New Zealand National Party (sometimes colloquially referred to as the Nats or as Tories) currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party represented in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the parliamentary Opposition. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX in Roman) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Graham Capill (born 1959) is a former New Zealand Christian leader and politician. ...

Later, when National MP Graeme Lee founded his own Christian-based party, van Rij was a strong supporter of co-operation. Fearing that the Christian vote would be split, van Rij and others strongly urged the Christian Heritage Party to pursue negotiations with the new group. Graham Capill was less enthusiastic, but talks eventually took place. Graeme Lee is a former New Zealand politician. ...

The most important difference between Christian Heritage and Lee's new group (eventually named the Christian Democrats) was "confessionalism" — the issue of whether non-Christians should be allowed to support the party. Confessionalists argued that Christian belief was essential for maintaining a party's policy purity, while non-confessionalists said that just so long as someone shared the same moral outlook, their actual religious beliefs were not important. Capill and the confessionalists resisted merger with the non-confessionalist Christian Democrats, while van Rij (although supportive of confessionalism at the party's founding) believed that unity was crucial. The eventual establishment of the Christian Coalition, an electoral alliance of the two Christian parties, owed much to van Rij's lobbying. The Christian Democrat Party of New Zealand was a Christian political party established in 1995. ... Christian Coalition logo The Christian Coalition was a Christian political party operating in New Zealand. ...

In its first election, however, the Christian Coalition failed to enter Parliament, and fighting broke out between the two components as to whose fault it was. The Coalition collapsed, much to van Rij's dismay. Along with a group of moderates within Christian Heritage, including deputy leader Geoff Hounsell, van Rij threatened to defect to the Christian Democrats unless reunification was pursued. As a result, van Rij was asked to step down. Shortly afterwards, he switched parties. The 1996 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ...