Kernaghan (60), the chief executive of the Cancer Society in Otago and Southland, has been named in the five-man Black Jacks team for World Bowls in Christchurch.
He is lead in the pairs for Shannon McIlroy and second in the four.
"I'm excited,'' Kernaghan said.
"The selectors showed confidence in me. I'm happy to play in the pairs with Shannon. We both wanted that to happen.
"Shannon proved over the last 12 months that he deserves the singles spot.''
Paul Girdler (51), the other Otago bowler in contention, was unlucky to miss selection after winning gold medals in the triples and fours at the Asia-Pacific championships.
Kernaghan, who began his international career against Great Britain in 1991, joins McIlroy and the aggressive Australian-based Ali Forsyth as the experienced members of the men's team.
The newcomers to the big time in the men's events are the consistent Australian-based players Blake Signal and Mike Nagy.
When Kernaghan won the bronze medal in the singles at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002, he was expected to make the Black Jacks for the 2004 World Bowls.
He retired from serious competitive bowls after the disappointment of missing selection in 2004. But the urge to get back into the big time was still there.
Kernaghan proved he could still foot it at national level by winning the national championship pairs in 2007 and the fours in 2014.
He forced the national selectors to take a serious look at him again when he won the singles title last year.
"I've had a few disappointments along the way but by the time World Bowls starts in November, I want to give it a good nudge,'' he said.
"The selectors have indicated to me over the last three years that they wanted me back.''
His silver medal in the singles at last year's Asia-Pacific Bowls showed Kernaghan could still be competitive in international bowls.
"I will put in a lot of work over the next six months to make sure I'm as good as I can be come November,'' he said.
Kernaghan took a risk when he made himself unavailable for this year's Trans Tasman and Six Nations events last month.
"It was just reality,'' Kernaghan said.
"I've got a job that pays the bills. I've got to be responsible to the board of the Cancer Society that employ me.''
He took three weeks off work for the Asia-Pacific Bowls and two more weeks for the New Zealand championships.
"I told the selectors that I wasn't available because of my job and they respected that.''
Kernaghan has adopted a realistic approach to World Bowls.
"I want to look into the mirror at the end and say it was OK. I performed up to my expectations. If that is good enough for gold, that's fine or good enough for 10th, that's fine too.''
Kernaghan intends to have the next two months away from bowls but will still be working on his fitness and mental skills.
When he returns to the indoor Westpac Stadium green in June, he will have five months to World Bowls.
This will include weekend trips to Christchurch in September and October to get used to the greens.
Forsyth and McIlroy are the only survivors in the men's team from 2012 World Bowls in Adelaide.
The three surviving members of the women's team are Jo Edwards, Val Smith and Mandy Boyd.
Edwards, the gold medallist at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, will again play the singles but will be joined by Angela Boyd in the pairs.
Angela Boyd and Katelyn Inch (20) earned their spots by consistent performances at this year's Six Nations event.
At the 2012 World Bowls in Adelaide, New Zealand won five medals - three silver to the women and two bronze medals to the men.
At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, Jo Edwards won the gold medal in the singles and the women's four of Selina Goddard, Amy McIlroy, Val Smith and Mandy Boyd won bronze.
The men did not win any medals.
World Bowls 2016
Christchurch
Venues: Burnside, Fendalton, Papanui greens.
Date: Nov 29 to Dec 11.
NZ teams
Women - Singles: Jo Edwards (Nelson). Pairs: Angela Boyd (Canterbury), Edwards (skip). Triples: Katelyn Inch (Canterbury), Val Smith (Nelson), Mandy Boyd (Canterbury) (skip). Fours: Angela Boyd, Inch, Smith, Mandy Boyd (skip).
Men - Singles: Shannon McIlroy (Nelson). Pairs: Mike Kernaghan (Dunedin), McIlroy (skip). Triples: Mike Nagy (Auckland), Blake Signal (Wellington), Ali Forsyth (Nelson) skip. Fours: Nagy, Kernaghan, Signal, Forsyth (skip).
