The demolition of two residential buildings in Parnell, Auckland, owned by the Anglican church has been described as "sinful".

And in Dunedin, an eleventh-hour effort is being made to prevent the demolition of Highgate Presbyterian Church in Maori Hill.

In both cases, the financial constraints are behind the decision to demolish.

The churches have followed all the proper procedures. None of these building has a Heritage New Zealand listing.

Cathedral Dean Anne Mills said they needed the land next to Holy Trinity Cathedral on which the demolished building stood, to lease for townhouses so it can afford annual upkeep on its other properties.

Annual cathedral, grounds and associated building maintenance was $300,000-plus annually. That figure was predicted to rise.

The church in Maori Hill is set to be demolished because the Presbyterian Church is no longer able to maintain the building which it says requires expensive work to earthquake-proof.

The church has agreed to put the demolition on hold until the end of this month so the Dunedin City Council has time to find alternative solutions.

Church minister Rev. Geoffrey Skilton said a meeting was scheduled for May 25 at which the congregation would be informed about the church's discussions with the council.

A decision would also be made on whether to continue those discussions or go ahead with the demolition, Mr Skilton said.

"We understand that some in the community were disappointed by the decision to demolish the building, and we have heard these voices."

The decision to demolish was made after years of discussions within the congregation about what was best for the church now and in the future, he said.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz

The review will identify how many churches the parish needs to cater for its Mass count, taking into account the availability of priests and lay pastoral leaders, and the ideal location of the church or churches.

Provision for the accommodation of priests is part of the review.

In a pastoral letter published on 17 February, the cardinal said the results are to be submitted to him complete with developed proposals, no later than 30 October 2019.

"For most, if not all parishes with more than one church, this will mean reducing the number of churches in the parish," Dew said.

"You need to be prepared to be radical in your thinking and discernment."

The review process will involve collecting and analysing information, and consulting with parishioners.

Pastoral teams and leadership groups have received detailed information and will be meeting shortly to look at how the parishes might carry out this process.

Between 2013 and 2017, the Archdiocese carried out a parish amalgamation process resulting in the reduction of the number of parishes from 47 to 22.

"This means, of course, there are now parishes with two or more churches, more than is necessary for worship and pastoral care," said Dew.

Also, the Archdiocese continues to experience pressures that compound the present situation and carry significant implications for the future:

• Earthquake resilience issues mean unsustainable insurance costs and buildings
  with unacceptable NBS ratings
• Some churches require large sums of money to address their earthquake resilience and general maintenance
• Pope Francis and the recent archdiocesan synod have challenged people to be more outward-looking and to serve those who are marginalised or disadvantaged. These cannot just be add-ons to what is already being done.

"We are called to be "missionary disciples" which, in the words of Pope Francis, makes an attitude of "we've always done it this way" not only damaging to the Church but invalid," Dew said.

"If we are to respond well to present and future challenges, we need to act together in favour of the common good of all parishes and support one another in a process of change. This is not an easy task for any of us.

"Some of you may see this as a threat to the status quo, but I would like you to see our situation as an opportunity to let the Holy Spirit work in our midst to create a sustainable and mission-oriented future."

Source

• Supplied
• Image: nonotone.wordpress.com

While the number of regular attendees for Sunday morning service fluctuate from 25 to 30, St Luke's is a vital part of the community Continue reading

He estimates that up to 30 per cent of his regular congregation are from the Filipino community.

With the launch of the Southland Regional Development Strategy this year, this trend may accelerate.

To reach the goal of attracting 10,000 people to the region by 2025, workers from immigrant communities are being heavily targeted.

The majority of these migrants would likely come from Asia and the Pacific.

Along with other churches Catholic Church has been dealing problems of declining attendance.

But the growth of Southland's Filipino community has transformed many churches in the South.

O'Neill says the new migrants have brought "a lot of energy and enthusiasm" to the church.

"They're a lot younger, the people who do come - and they bring their children along as well."

"People in their 30s and 40s is a demographic we are missing out on [with New Zealand born people]."

"It's having quite an effect on the people who are already here, they have done us a lot of good."

Since last November, the Diocese of Dunedin has been celebrating monthly Filipino-language masses around Otago and Southland.

The decision to hold the Tagalog masses was the idea of Reverend Fredy Permentilla, himself a Filipino priest working in Gore.

Permentilla celebrates the masses in Winton, Invercargill, Dunedin, and Queenstown.

He said that for many Filipinos "there is a longing to hear the mass in their own language".

Permentilla arrived in New Zealand in 2012, as part of an initiative of the Mission Society of the Philippines.

Source

• www.stuff.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: resources.stuff.co.nz
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The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church is being disposed of after its dwindling and ageing congregation accepted it was impractical to keep it. Reverend Don Hall says the 15 remaining parishioners, who range in age from 60 to 80, will join a nearby church in Mairangi Bay.

"The more popular churches these days typically offer a wide range of services and activities and can be very busy centres," he said.

"Rather than seeking to maintain a presence in every suburb, the older denominations are often pooling resources in order to meet this demand.

"In some ways there is a lot of competition out there - but churches are also choosing not to compete everywhere."

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Stuff.co.nz