About the time St John's Anglican church at Matarawa celebrated its centennial in 2008, Maureen Naldrett-Jays was coaxed into writing the definitive history of the church.
Mrs Naldrett-Jays and her husband Rohan regarded themselves as "newcomers" to the district, buying a property on No2 Line seven years before and joining the congregation at the little church.
"That brought us into contact with Joy McGregor, who had this dream to get a history written about the church," she said. "After Joy had got to know me she started talking about the book she planned and now it has been realized," she said.
"I thought I could knock it off in five months but it took two solid years to read every bit of paper, all the vestry minutes to get a true, honest and historical picture of the life and times of that little building. It's been fascinating," Mrs Naldrett-Jays said.
It has an imposing title - A History of a Country Church in New Zealand - St John's Matarawa: Its Life and Times, 1863-2008 - and there's a lot crammed into the 40-odd pages.
While the book focuses on the history of the church, it also traces links with the community that settled the area from the 1860s.
In 1863, pioneering missionary Rev Richard Taylor used to ride from Wanganui out to Fordell to deliver his sermons. Soon after, Presbyterian and Wesleyan ministers joined the circuit and they took turns holding services in a barn on a farm on the Matarawa Valley Rd. "Everybody who could get to the services got there. It was a social occasion as much as anything for the settlers," Mrs Naldrett-Jays said.
It was from those somewhat fractured beginnings that the idea grew to create an inter-denominational church for the area. They needed land and Rev Taylor canvassed local farmers to provide a site.
By chance the generosity of local family who nursed a young farm labourer back to health earned the gratitude of the young man's family back in England. They bought the five acres of land needed for the church. That was enough for the church, a graveyard and a vicarage. The deed of gift was made in 1863, but the intervening Maori land wars put things on hold. Building started in 1865 on the present church land.
"It was truly interdenominational and people turned up to worship regardless of who was giving the service that Sunday," Mrs Naldrett-Jays said.
In 1881, the Anglicans, who were the predominant parishioners at St John's, decided they would set up a parochial district covering more than 300 square miles and based at Matarawa.
Come 1906 and the original church was in bad repair so a decision was made to rebuild. It took three years to raise the £300 needed - but it opened in 1908.
"Lots of people are going to find their ancestors' names in this book because St John's is truly a country church," Mrs Naldrett-Jays said.
"It's got that village feel."
The book, priced at $20, will be available at the official launch which is set for 5.30pm on December 8 at the Grand Hotel.
It can also be purchased by contacting Kay Watson (06 345 7797).
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