Presbyterians farewell their church

Presbyterians farewell their church

The Ōtaki Presbyterian Church is set to be sold, with the congregation preparing to farewell a building that has been part of the local community for more than three decades.

The Mill Road church property will be placed on the market with an asking price of $1.45 million. Any future use of the site will depend on the purchaser.

Funds from the sale will go into the Church Property Trustees, which provides stewardship and owns the property and assets of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The decision to sell the property comes after a period of declining attendance and increasing challenges in maintaining a church building that is now larger than the current congregation justifies.

Rev Peter Jackson, minister of the Ōtaki-Waikanae parish, says it’s no longer economic to keep the church property, and the congregation numbers are not what they used to be.

“There’s about 25 people on the [Ōtaki] roll, and regular Sunday attendance is about 12 people,” he says.

Until recently, a service was held every Sunday at the Ōtaki church, but the parish has recently moved to a new arrangement where every third Sunday is a joint service at the Waikanae church.

The final service at the Ōtaki church was at 2pm on Sunday, June 28.

Ōtaki parishioners are being encouraged to attend services at the Waikanae church, although Peter says the connection with Ōtaki will continue.

“I remain the minister for Ōtaki,” he says. “I’m hoping we can have some informal monthly gatherings for locals, possibly at Rangiātea Church, so there is still a local connection.”

The popular “Messy Church” at Hadfield Hall on a Friday afternoon will continue, and Peter remains a trustee of the joint Presbyterian-Anglican Te Awhi Rito Trust, which supports local youngsters.

The current church building has been part of Ōtaki’s landscape since 1992, when the more modern and spacious facility was opened.

Before that, the first Presbyterian church in Ōtaki was on Rangatira Street, and opened in 1930.

The final church garage sale was on June 20. It was a regular Saturday event that over the years had provided used items to support families and helped bring people together in the church grounds.

Parishioners rue end of an era

Long-time Ōtaki Presbyterian parishioners Janice King and Heather Watson are saddened by the imminent sale of their church.

It’s more than the loss of a building – it’s the end of a place filled with memories, friendship and community service.

Janice says she and many others did a lot of fundraising to get the church built in 1992. It included garage sales, community events and shared meals, with parishioners determined to create a new home for the congregation.

“It’s really disappointing,” she says. “But there aren’t the same numbers of people attending nowadays.

“What it really comes down to is money. We just can’t keep the two churches running – Otaki and Waikanae. It’s very sad. It’s not just the building, it’s all the people over the years who have made up this church family and have worked together, not just in the church but for outreach into the community”.

Heather says she was devastated when she learned the church’s fate.

“It was a shock,” she says. “Janice and I cried. We worked our butts off fundraising. Not long before it opened we were $30,000 short. But it opened debt free.”

For Heather, the church’s value has always extended beyond Sunday worship. The congregation has supported the wider community in many quiet ways, including helping families in need, supporting other churches and providing practical assistance to local organisations.

The church has also been an important venue for community gatherings, funerals and groups over the years.

While the closure is a difficult moment, Heather says she has happy memories.

“I think of all the fun, all the laughter, all the support and helping the community,” she says. “That was lovely. But now it’s the end of an era.”