Spirituality and the city: [2 Edition]

Abstract

ST JOHN'S Presbyterian Church is 150 years old and will be celebrating in style this weekend. St John's first established itself as a church community in 1853. The first building -- the Willis St Church -- opened on the corner of Willis and Dixon streets in 1856. A bigger church, the first St John's, replaced it in 1875 but was destroyed by fire in 1884.

When a sex-aid shop moved in opposite St John's recently, with a billboard touting "Quality Sex Gear for Adventurous Everyday People" under the shop's "D'vice" logo, the church was not fazed. "We didn't regard it as controversial at all, it was just a part of central city life," Rev Redding says. "Rather than react against it, we decided to put a positive, spiritual spin on it." The result was a St John's billboard which read "Quality Spirituality for Adventurous Everyday People" and the logo "Devout".

* St John's 150th Labour Weekend celebrations begin on Saturday with displays, lunch and a variety concert. A 150th anniversary church service will be held on Sunday, attended by Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast and Wellington Central MP Marian Hobbs, followed by a luncheon at Wellington Town Hall. All inquiries, phone [phone].

From the edges of a colonial town to the heart of the capital, St John's Presbyterian Church has made sure it has moved with the times in its 150 years. By Caroline Harris.

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ST JOHN'S Presbyterian Church is 150 years old and will be celebrating in style this weekend. St John's first established itself as a church community in 1853. The first building -- the Willis St Church -- opened on the corner of Willis and Dixon streets in 1856. A bigger church, the first St John's, replaced it in 1875 but was destroyed by fire in 1884.

The present-day St John's opened its doors in 1885. Designed by well-known Wellington architect Thomas Turnbull, it was built of kauri, totara and rimu in the colonial Gothic style. It was built to accommodate 800 people and was so large it was necessary to buy William Spink's cottage next door, now used as the church office. Both buildings have Historic Places Trust classification.

"It was incredible they could build three churches in such a short space of time," anniversary committee member Ailsa Salt says. The leading civic and business leaders of the day established a strong foundation at the church. "St John's was the church of the business man, while the professionals -- the academics and the doctors -- went to St Andrew's," Ms Salt says.

Well-known church members included John Kirkcaldie, James Smith, Robert Hannah and former mayors Sir George Troup and John Aitken. Mr Aitken gifted two of the church's stained-glass windows in memory of the young men of the Wellington parish who died in World War I.

The church organ, still used today, was gifted by James Smith in 1886. His descendant, Douglas Smith, was baptised at St John's 87 years ago and is its longest-standing parishioner.

Former prime minister Sir John Marshall worshipped at St John's for 58 years and Sir Walter Nash's state funeral was held at St John's in 1968.

One of St John's longest-serving ministers, from 1903 to 1926, was the controversial Presbyterian leader James Gibb. He was accused of heresy in 1890 for challenging the notion of predestination and the doctrine that infants who died before baptism could not enter heaven. Rev Gibb and his wife had seen three of their own children die in infancy. At the beginning of World War I he used the pulpit as a recruiting platform, but the casualty toll and a visit to post- war Britain moved him to become an outspoken pacifist.

St John's has a long history of contribution to the Wellington community, most significantly with the charitable trust best known as the Boys and Girls Institute. Originally called the Boys Institute, it was founded 120 years ago to help disadvantaged boys in central Wellington. The church started the Bible class movement, and still has strong links with the Bible College of New Zealand.

St John's actively supports the interdenominational Downtown Community Ministry, the Korean Agape Church and the Interdenominational Educational Institute. It runs various youth projects and offers professional counselling.

"It is our way of exercising a strong network of support in the city," minister Graham Redding says. "We can't wait for people to come to us, we need to look for partnerships at different levels."

To that end, St John's recently established a lectureship in theology at Victoria University, with the support of the Religious Studies department.

Over 150 years St John's has been witness to many changes, both physically and philosophically. The church that was built on the outskirts of a colonial town in a residential area is now part of the central business district and its congregation is ethnically diverse.

Like many other churches, St John's has seen a drop in attendance. While it has a membership of about 400, its Sunday attendance figures -- which reached 1000 in 1911 -- have declined to about 200.

To address these issues the church has adopted a creative, pragmatic approach. Rev Redding says that while St John's remains committed to the traditions of worship, music and theology, it recognises the need to engage in ways that are non-partisan and credible, and that people find stimulating.

"We live in a pluralistic society. Institutions are much more open to the way things are."

The church has adopted an alternative name -- St John's in the City -- boldly displayed along its street frontage, which bears witness to its inner-city focus. It runs adult education programmes in subjects as diverse as wine and theology and film and literature which are open to all.

When a sex-aid shop moved in opposite St John's recently, with a billboard touting "Quality Sex Gear for Adventurous Everyday People" under the shop's "D'vice" logo, the church was not fazed. "We didn't regard it as controversial at all, it was just a part of central city life," Rev Redding says. "Rather than react against it, we decided to put a positive, spiritual spin on it." The result was a St John's billboard which read "Quality Spirituality for Adventurous Everyday People" and the logo "Devout".

"We got a lot of comment, all very favourable."

The church has similarly made a play on a well-known series of beer advertisements, along the lines of: "God Does Not Exist? Yeah Right."

Rev Redding says the 150th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate St John's past, and to examine where it may be heading in the future. "The church is in a time of transition as it adjusts to a society which is radically different. Where once it was the mainstay of a Christian society, these days it is one voice in a multi-pluralistic society," he says. "It is very important for a church not to be a finger-pointing institution, but a creative one which engages with everyone."

* St John's 150th Labour Weekend celebrations begin on Saturday with displays, lunch and a variety concert. A 150th anniversary church service will be held on Sunday, attended by Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast and Wellington Central MP Marian Hobbs, followed by a luncheon at Wellington Town Hall. All inquiries, phone [phone].