Pastor Joe was raised in a Christian family but it wasn't until he was in his early 20s that he discovered it wasn't just about being good, but about having a relationship with Jesus. He was ordained in 2010.
"I see my role as a pastor as sharing what I know about Jesus with others," he said.
"Church isn't about me. It's about when people come together. There's a synergy there. My function is to empower people and to watch them develop. It ultimately comes back to people and seeing them live life well."
He also sees the church working alongside other organisations already established in the community.
"As we gather people, we'll discover the needs out there. And once the needs are met we will empower people to give back to their community," he said.
Currently he works "bi-vocationally", spending three days a week employed as a business consultant, travelling all over Australasia, but is slowly pulling back on that. As a minister he wants to be self-sufficient, rather than being supported by a church, but whether he's working in HR or the church, "it's about people" - a church, but not as you know it.
"Church today needs to be relevant. We strive to offer a contemporary expression of church," he said.
"For me the church is not just about Sunday. It's about Monday-Friday and how we work within our community. We talk about wholeness, which encompasses the mind, body, spirit and soul."
Gatherings are informal, featuring bands and guest speakers, giving contemporary expression to traditional values.
Services will begin with Thursday evening gatherings on February 13.
"It may just be pizza and talking. It's not really about singing hymns and organ-playing, it's about connecting and sharing with others. And everybody is welcome," he said.
The couple had visited the Far North several times before making the move, but Kaitaia had still held some surprises.
"You could call it a God moment. It all resonated well. It's been quite a big shift but we are really enjoying it. The people up here are so friendly and welcoming," he added.
For the first three months they "bunked marae-style" in the church creche, before buying a home in a community that Pastor Joe acknowledged held spiritual significance, the place where the Christian message was first delivered to the people of New Zealand.
Its cultural significance had not gone unnoticed either. Similarities between the Maori and Chinese cultures, particularly the concepts of extended whanau and caring for one's parents and elderly, resonated with him, and he was looking forward to enjoying a cultural diversity that Hawke's Bay did not have.
"We all originated from China anyway, so we're all cousins," he said.
Meanwhile, as a "bit of an outdoorsy country boy", he has joined the local 4x4 club and considers himself "definitely" a fisherman, even though he sold his boat three years ago.
"I love how relaxed it is up here too," he said. "The beaches - man, they're like a postcard."
The family had holidayed at Tolaga Bay over summer, and he had found himself feeling homesick for the Far North.
"As soon as we arrived up here it felt like we were home. It's been an awesome journey, and we're very excited about the future," he added.
