Life and Ministry

Pastor Mata Waqanituinayau, has been serving as the Pastor of Peria Church since 2010, they moved to Matamata in 2012. 
He is originally from the Fiji Islands, he settle here in New Zealand in 1998. Lived in Hamilton for ten years and serve as a Pastor of Waidrodro Assembly of God.
He studied and graduated at the Waikato University with Graduate Diploma in Religious Studies.
Pastor Mata has always been working in the church while he was in Fiji, he spent four years studying at the Theological College (SPBC) of the Assemblies of God of Fiji, where he earned a Diploma in Theology (1988 - 1990) and a BA in Biblical Studies (1994).
Work in New Zealand
Took over a work in Hamilton, the City in the Waikato region 1998
  • Senior Pastor of Hamilton Fijian Assembly of God (Hamilton) 1998 - 2002
  • Assistant Pastor @ North Shore Fijian Assembly of God (North Shore) 2002 - 2006
  • Senior Pastor @ Waidrodro Assembly of God (Hamilton) 2006 - 2010
  • Senior Pastor @ Peria Assembly of God (Matamata 2010 - Now)

Vision
  • Building a strong worship center in our community that will allow people to come and know Christ in a deeper way, for we know that deeper relationship with Christ will leads to may wonderful thing, good life experience, and life fulfillment.
  • To involve in Christ's Global mission, supporting missionaries overseas, and other work of the Lord outside of New Zealand, which is normally known as foreign missions.
  • Praying for the mission field (Where we are), our Community, Country, and other parts of the world that is need of the Gospel of Christ.

Mission
To engage in the works of Christ, winning souls to the Kingdom of God, and taking advantage of every opportunity that God has given to us to help people to know Christ.  

Mission Work 
  • Supporting a Missionary Couple in Uganda running the Bible School financially
  • Feeding Program in Ennerdale, Johannesburg South Africa
Pastor Mata has done more mission travel since he became a full time Pastor of Peria Church.
  • Five times in the period of two years to Fiji ministering to few different Churches
  • Twice to Africa, Rwanda in 2013, and South Africa in 2016 speaking in conferences
  • Guest Speaker at the Pastors and Leaders Conference in Mbeya, Tanzania (2019)