A new centre of faith, of community, and of togetherness has opened its doors in a rapidly developing, vibrant, and multi-cultural part of east Auckland.
Several hundred people turned out on a blustery grey day to celebrate the consecration of the St Paul’s in the Park Church on August 31.
The development of the church in Barry Curtis Park in Flat Bush was overseen by Reverend Warner Wilder.
It cost $8.4 million to build and will include a café, garden, community centre, an auditorium, two lounges, a hall, offices and meeting rooms.
Reverend Wilder previously told the Times he’s grateful to John McClean, director at BSM Group Architects in Highbrook, for his work on the project, and he also thanks builder McMillan & Lockwood.
The project received $2.5m from the Anglican Church in New Zealand and $2m from the AH Somerville Foundation, named for the well-known late Whitford farmer Archie Somerville, who’s buried in the church’s graveyard.
John Bayley, executive director of the Bayleys real estate company, staged a fundraiser for the project at his Parnell home that drew guests including Prime Minister and Botany MP Christopher Luxon, whose electorate encompasses the site of the new church.
The church’s consecration on August 31 was conducted by the Bishop of Auckland, The Right Reverend Ross Bay.
There were speeches, prayers, and Bible readings, a video showing the history of the church and its surroundings, a dedication of the alter, font and sanctuary, and singing aplenty, followed by a shared afternoon tea.
Thomas Rawiri spoke on behalf of the local iwi Ngai Tai ki Tamaki, saying it’s a place that lives within their tribal heartland, community and at the heart of their shared history.
“Our relationship with the Anglican church is not new, nor is it casual.
“It’s a bond built across from the earliest missions of the 1830s in Tamaki Makaurau through times of exchange, co-operation to the shared work of uplifting communities in faith and service, this has always been a partnership of purpose.
“For Ngai Tai ki Tamaki, this relationship is woven into our whakapapa, our genealogy.
“My own tupuna (ancestor) stood amongst the first Māori to be ordained into the ministry in the 1830s.
“So it’s a living sign of the trust, respect, and shared hope that guide both our tupuna and the missionaries of that era.
“Today, we do more than remember that history, we stand in it, we carry it forward and we commit to keeping it alive.”
Reverend Wilder told the audience getting to the point where the church could open had been a long journey that started “well before my time”.
“I want to acknowledge those who came before me and had the vision of a new church.
“Finally, we are here. I’ve been here eight years. I had been at King’s College for many years, and I was at that stage thinking I will kick back, young family, I have a bit of time.
“The bishop said to me, ‘I want you to go to Flat Bush and build a new church’.
“So, the intensions of kicking back went out the window, which is fine, because I’ve been loving my time here at St Paul’s in the Park. There’s been so much support along the way.”
Reverend Wilder said there is one person who is ultimately responsible for the church, and that’s God.
“Where would we be without God? Quite honestly, that’s why we’re here, because of God.”
He also thanked his wife and their four children for their “wonderful support”, and the members of the church’s congregation.
The Right Reverend Ross Bay said the new St Paul’s in the Park is a miracle.
“This building, a result of faith and prayer and commitment and an enormous amount of perseverance, 20-plus years of it.”
“The overwhelming sense that we have today is one of thankfulness.
“Our hearts are full of thankfulness, both to God and to one another for what has been achieved here.
“Our hearts are full as we gather in this beautiful place to bring our worship to God.
“Alongside that, our hearts also are full of hope as we gather in this way. It’s a hope born of the faith that has achieved this.
“A hope that looks towards what we yet can achieve here in the gathering of the faithful for the worship of God, and in the service that we can offer from here to the wider community.”
- To see more photos from the church’s consecration, click here.
