Move to sell church creates waves in seaside settlement

Sue Painting (front) and other members of the congregation. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

An unholy stoush is brewing in the seaside settlement of Kaiaua as the Presbyterian Church leaders and locals tussle over ownership of a church.

The church says it has clear title to the Kaiaua Church Hall and its 1900 sq m of land. It wants to sell the property, on two titles, by tender and invest the $220,000 to $300,000 proceeds in building another church in Mangatangi, 10km away.

But Sue Painting, a "life-long Presbyterian" who lives next door to the hall, said the church had no moral authority as locals Norman and Florence Lipscombe gifted one part of the land in 1955 for a church. The church and locals banded together to buy the second slice in 1963, and the building went up in 1968.

The church has paid insurance but maintenance has been a joint effort.

The building "holds so many precious memories for our local community," said Mrs Painting, "and as the Presbyterian Church obviously no longer wishes to hold the property, we ask that it be given back ... so it will be here for future generations."

She and others have set up a trust, started a petition and sent legal letters demanding the Presbyterian hierarchy hand over the property so it can remain a church for an admittedly small and ageing group of regular worshippers in the Firth of Thames village.

To complicate matters, local Anglicans who use the church monthly are also starting a trust to run the property as a community centre. They want to harness local council backing for a low bid, hoping that Presbyterian bosses will put communal values above money.

The rival bids stem from differences in approach as well as about the building's future designation. Said Anglican area representative Margaret James: "The split is very much regretted, but it's a fact."

And the church view? Locals have been given three months to act, say elders. As no money has been put on the table, the five week-long tender period opens today as planned.

The Kaiaua church "is not worth the effort, to be honest ... services have been very poorly attended", elder Bill Miller said.

The Presbyterian church was centralising and needed money to build a home for Crossroads Christian Centre at Mangatangi, a church currently in an "unsuitable" hall, he said.

Some Kaiaua locals said not only was that church too far away for some elderly and disabled, but it was also too charismatic.

Neville Guy, another Presbyterian leader, said that as there were 400 people in Kaiaua, "it would not be a struggle for the locals to purchase the hall. It is worth noting that there is another hall in the township."

The Herald was unable to reach Russell Lipscombe, son of the donors. But his wife Linley said the land shouldn't be sold "if it still can be used as a church".

Mrs Painting said the locals were not against Presbyterian leaders building a new Mangatangi church, "but not at the expense of our church".

Meanwhile, real estate agent Gordon Pryde said he'd been stuck in the middle.

"We're the people copping all the flak from the locals: how dare you sell our church? they say.

"We're only endeavouring to do the job we were instructed to do."