Celebrations as church marks its centenary

The congregation at Wanganui East Baptist overflowed out into the hall on Sunday as the church celebrated 100 years of existence.

About 300 attended the resurrection service, with those in the church hall following it by video link. The service consisted of readings, with communion taken by former pastor Peter Somervell, and hearty singing.

"We just had a great time of singing together," Pastor Calvyn Jonker said.

It was an action-packed weekend for church members and about 70 former members, who came from as far away as Australia and the South Island to renew old friendships.

Mr Jonker is the 19th pastor of the church. There are another five former pastors who are still alive, and four were able to come for the weekend.

"It's really great to see people together relaxed and having a great enjoyment and a chinwag."

On Good Friday members participated in the Way of the Cross, on Saturday there was a morning tea and talk from former pastor Richard Coombs and an evening banquet, and on Sunday there was a service, a shared lunch outside on the lawn in dazzling weather, and a farewell to 10 young people heading off to a Christian camp on Kawau Island.

Mr Jonker said the Way of the Cross walk between Wanganui East churches on Good Friday was getting bigger every year, and 150 people came to the catered banquet at the Wanganui Girls' College Hall.

It was a busy but satisfying weekend, and he recovered yesterday with a spot of quiet fishing in the Whanganui River.

Previously a teacher, Mr Jonker became a pastor two years ago, after a spell of study at a bible college in Hawke's Bay. He saw being a pastor as a promotion.

"It's still teaching, in a way. You are still dealing with people and helping with issues."

Wanganui East Baptist was a church that believed in sticking close to the Bible in everything it did, he said, and it had been known for that since its beginning in March 1912.

Its current building, on the corner of Moana St and Nixon St, was built in 1901 and initially used as both a Methodist church on Sundays and Sedgebrook School.

Wanganui East Baptist was in good heart, Mr Jonker said. It had a congregation of 180, a Sunday school, a youth group of 40 and home groups where the "nuts and bolts" happened during the week.