Christian Parties: Why They Keep Falling Short

Historian and theologian Reverend Dr Malcolm Falloon, of the New Zealand Christian Network, traces the history of explicitly Christian political parties in New Zealand, from Christian Heritage and the 1996 Christian Coalition through United Future's brief success to today's fractured field of small Christian parties. He notes these smaller parties collectively won just 1.13% of the vote last election, failing to capture the "Christian political imagination".

Falloon argues Christians increasingly practise "political realism", recognising MMP's 5% threshold and that shared faith doesn't produce a single political agenda, so believers are spread across established parties instead. He urges voters to weigh how parties prioritise values like creation care against conflicting policies, build coalitions with those who don't share their faith, and remember that good laws restrain evil but cannot change the human heart or replace hope in Christ ([www.nzcn.org.nz](https://www.nzcn.org.nz)).

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