By James Pocock/Editor – Gisborne Herald
A bittersweet celebration of church history and memories opened a weekend of events marking the upcoming dissolution of the Gisborne Presbyterian Parish.
The Gisborne Herald reported last October that the parish, made up of the churches of St Andrew’s and Matawhero, will close on June 30 this year because of falling congregations.
Talks from dissolution committee members, Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand leaders who had travelled from out of town spoke to the value the church buildings, along with St Andrew’s Hall, had brought to the community.
On display in the hall on Friday evening were pieces of church history: books, newsprint, ledgers and pictures.
Hope remains for an outcome that would preserve the ageing church buildings.
“It is a bittersweet evening, weekend, for all of us. As I was looking at some of these pictures, St Andrew’s Church has made steps in the heart of so many people,” Stoltz said.
“I think, as a community, we value what we see on the corner (of Cobden and Childers Roads) here. We value what happened in this church hall as well.
“We run the risk of the nation becoming faceless and identity-less if we don’t preserve beautiful old buildings and beautiful old cultures and beautiful old ways because that does shape who we are.
“I look forward to continuing this discussion about what happens on the corner, what happens here, because it is not just a church, it is not just a building, it is people’s lives.”
Rev Peter MacKenzie, executive secretary of Presbytery Central based in Palmerston North, said Gisborne was part of “a nation going through change from top to bottom”.
“The nature of being church, the nature of being community, has changed. Buildings get old, as well as the people get old.”
“As the Presbytery, we are concerned for the whole of the church. We heard, in Gisborne, a tired congregation, that their journey was a struggle.
“We had tried renewal of the congregation, but that wasn’t going to work.”
He said the Presbytery had a “great love” for its heritage buildings and did not want to see them demolished.
“The church has been with the Gisborne community for 150-odd years and we have been there to be the strong support for the community. Now the church needs the community to support it.”
Two groups were doing due diligence on what could be done with the St Andrew’s Church building, he said.
“We’ve given them space and time to try to make decisions and get something off the ground.
“We want to find a way in which the community and the building can be connected, so that both will win. There is a grand old organ there. There are some wonderful acoustics.
“There is a sense of history which is worth preserving.”
“I would encourage the local community to also get behind that.”
One group has shared aspirations to buy the buildings to convert it into a community arts centre.
Rev Peter Dunn, the Moderator (leader of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand), also travelled to Gisborne for the weekend of celebrations. He told those gathered on Friday that he looked forward to learning more about St Andrew’s Church and Matawhero Church.
