Where it all began

In 2018, a group of 16 Kiwis, alongside a few Canadians, pioneered our very first Local Church family in Ottawa, Canada.

Today, that church continues to be a healthy and strong congregation, growing together in Christlikeness and being a blessing to their community.

In 2023, the board of Local Church Ottawa, alongside Levi and Nadia Marychurch, worked to transition Levi and Nadia's role of Lead Pastors to Caleb and Alex Groeneweg. 

In 2024, Levi and Nadia are setting out once again to pioneer in their homeland of Aotearoa.

Local Church Ottawa, and Local Church New Zealand will be two churches in relationship with one another.

They will each be led at the ground level by their local pastors and local board of elders. 

We believe this model empowers healthy pastoral leadership and ensures high accountability.

A church interior with a stage and a large congregation, where a band is performing with a singer at the center, and a cross on the wall behind them, illuminated by warm lighting and stained glass at the top.
Interior view of a church sanctuary filled with people seated in wooden pews, facing a stage with a pastor or speaker, large stained glass windows, high vaulted wooden ceiling, and hanging chandeliers.
Two young men hugging and smiling in a church or chapel, during a celebration or special event, with a congregation in the background.

Who we are

A note from Levi and Nadia

After living in Canada for almost 6 years, and pioneering a beautiful church family in the heart of Ottawa, we felt that it was finally time to come home.

We are deeply grateful for the journey that God has taken us on since leaving the fair shores of Aotearoa. It has been a beautiful rebuilding, reforming, and renewing and the faithfulness of God has been so evident.

The people of Local Church Ottawa have left an indelible mark on our hearts that we will be forever thankful for. The church we have all built together has been a delight to be a part of, and we know that it will continue to be a place of healing and wholeness for many as Caleb and Alex Groeneweg and the Local Church board lead it into the future.

We did not expect to be returning to New Zealand at this time, but in December 2022, during our holiday home, as we drove from Auckland to Tauranga, and came over the hill near Bethlehem, we felt the land call out and say, ‘It’s time to come home’. Over the next few weeks, we would have many more moments that would confirm in our hearts what we were sensing. 

We are excited to build again, but this time in our beautiful home of Aotearoa, 

Much love,

Levi and Nadia.

A diverse group of six people, including children and adults, smiling and standing in front of a church building.