St Paul's Anglican Church and Cemetery at Rangiaowhia - the second of the parish of St John's Category 1 listed heritage buildings. Photo / Dean Taylor
St Paul's Anglican Church and Cemetery at Rangiaowhia - the second of the parish of St John's Category 1 listed heritage buildings. Photo / Dean Taylor
Te Awamutu's St John's Anglican Parish – Te Pārihi Mihingare o Hoani Tapu – has the unique honour of owning two Heritage New Zealand category 1 listed buildings – but it also brings challenges, says parish priest Reverend Julie Guest.
Old St John's Church in Arawata St and St Paul'sChurch in Rangiaowhia Rd are the only two Category 1 listed buildings in the Te Awamutu area, and amongst the oldest surviving wooden buildings in New Zealand.
St John's was opened on Easter Day 1854 and the similarly designed St Paul's was completed two years later. Both have undergone various modifications and restorations over their almost 170-year lives.
This year St John's was painted, partly funded by a Waipā District Council Heritage Fund grant.
Julie says that is just part of the picture for maintenance required for the two churches, and says it is a big ask for her congregation to come up with the funds required.
St John's Parish also has the newer St John's Church, Pirongia's St Saviour's Church and St John's Church Hall to maintain.
Each plays a vital part in the work and worship of the Anglican congregation.
Julie says the rear of the hall houses St John's Opportunity Shop and the main hall is used for the church's Mainly Music programme, church and family functions, is regularly hired to a dance studio and occasionally for church events.
The hall also needs repainting, and being old wooden buildings, both the hall and St Paul's need some wood repairs and specialist paint application.
Julie says it isn't a job for volunteers.
Reverend Julie Guest in Old St John's. Photo / Dean Taylor
She says Old St John's is very much the public face of the parish – the front facing, visual reminder of the heritage of the Anglican Mission in Te Awamutu.
That makes it easier to attract funding, but St Paul's also plays a vital part, especially as the process of reconciliation following the atrocities suffered by Māori at Rangiaowhia in 1864.
Julie says St Paul's also very much reflects the original aim of the Anglican missionaries, who encouraged multicultural worship in St John's and St Paul's – a rarity of its time.
St Paul's has 9am services each first and third Sunday, plus Evensong in te reo with Pa Cruz at 5pm every fourth Sunday.
Services are also held each Sunday at 8am and 10.30am in Te Awamutu, from June 12 alternating between at Old St John's and St John's, and 9.30am services are held at St Saviour's.
Eucharist services are also held at Old St John's at 11am on the first and third Thursday and Evensong at 4.30pm on the fifth Sunday.
Old St John's Church - the iconic public face of the Anglican Parish. Photo / Dean Taylor
Assisting the vestry and church wardens run the parish is St John's Te Awamutu Trust Board, chaired by Alan Empson.
The board is charged with owning and maintaining parish land and buildings.
Alan says St Paul's and cemetery, plus the nearby Catholic cemetery, are hugely important as they are the only physical reminders of what took place over 150 years ago.
Over the past few months work has been undertaken to smarten up the entrance of the church and improve the grounds and cemetery.
Parishioners John and Sue Storey sponsored a new fence and appropriate entrances, with physical help from family.
New church fence was provided by parishioners John and Sue Storey, with hands-on help from the family. Photo / Dean Taylor
The decision was made to remove the sheep which used to graze the grounds, so fences along the path to the church have been removed, opening the space for worshippers and visitors. Volunteers now mow the church grounds.
Alan says the church needs painting from the top of the spire to the ground, a specialist job requiring scaffolding and assessments of repair. One quote has been received to date, the price $35,000.
He is hopeful the repair requirements will be minor.
Old St John's Church with new coat of paint. Photo / Dean Taylor
Stained glass specialist Graham Stewart from Christchurch has also been engaged to assess the condition of the glass windows in both St John's and St Paul's and it is expected there will be recommendations from those assessments.
The board and parish is determined to preserve the two historic churches as testament to all those who have worshipped there for nearly 17 decades.
Anyone able to assist financially, or in any other way, is invited to contact the parish office by phoning 871 5568 on weekday mornings or email stjohns.awa@xtra.co.nz.
