St Paul's Church, Auckland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Auckland
36°51′16″S 174°46′06″E / 36.854444°S 174.768333°E / -36.854444; 174.768333
Location	28 Symonds Street, Auckland
Country	New Zealand
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Charismatic Evangelical
Membership	785 over 18 years old (2023)
History
Status	Church
Founded	1841
Founder(s)	Governor William Hobson
Dedicated	1844, 1894
Relics held	Carved stones from Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster & St Paul's Cathedral, Bishop's throne, communion paten & chalice
Past bishop(s)	George Selwyn
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Category 1 Historic Place
Architect(s)	William Henry Skinner
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1894-1895
Specifications
Materials	Rangitoto, Oamaru, Mt Somers & Timaru stone
Administration
Parish	St Paul's Symonds Street
Diocese	Auckland

St Paul's Church is an old Anglican church in Auckland, New Zealand. It is on Symonds Street, close to the University of Auckland. This church is the oldest parish in the city. It also has one of the biggest Anglican groups in Australasia.

The church's first stone was laid by Governor William Hobson on 28 July 1841. The first church service happened on 7 May 1843. For over 40 years, St Paul's was also Auckland's Cathedral. The third and current church building was officially opened on 1 November 1895. It is now known as a Category 1 Historic Place. This means it is a very important historical site.

The Story of St Paul's Church

How It All Began

The first St Paul's Church building at Emily Place.

St Paul's is often called the 'Mother Church' of Auckland. This is because it is the city's oldest church community. It was started less than a year after Auckland itself was founded. The very first St Paul's church was built in Emily Place in 1841. A special marker there still shows where the Christian church began in Auckland.

Old St Paul's was in the middle of the new colonial city. It was on a hill near Point Britomart. This spot was close to the soldiers at Fort Britomart. It was also near the old Rangipuke pā. This pā was where Ngāti Whātua defended their land during the Musket Wars in the 1820s.

St Paul's was the main church for the Bishop of New Zealand, George Selwyn. Auckland's richest settlers went to church there. The Anglican faith was linked to British power. Many items in St Paul's, like the Bishop's Throne, are from when Auckland was New Zealand's capital.

Reverend John Churton was the first minister of St Paul's. He served for 12 years. The Churton Memorial was built to remember him. It is near where the first church stood. In 1863, the original building was made much bigger. This doubled the number of people it could hold.

During the New Zealand Wars in the 1860s, St Paul's was a safe place. Women, children, and older people found shelter there. This was a traditional role for churches during difficult times. Later, as Auckland grew, fewer people came to St Paul's. Many moved to new suburbs like Epsom and Remuera. Other churches like St Matthew's and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre served these new areas.

A Church for Everyone

On 20 March 1840, in the Manukau Harbour area, Apihai Te Kawau signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This was the Māori version of the Treaty of Waitangi. Ngāti Whātua wanted British protection from Ngāpuhi. They also wanted a good relationship with the Crown and the Church.

Soon after signing Te Tiriti, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei gave 3,500 acres of land to Governor Hobson. This gift was for his new capital, Auckland. All three St Paul's church buildings would be built on this land.

When St Paul's was founded on 28 July 1841, many people came. This included Ngāti Whātua chiefs Apihai Te Kawau, Te Keene, and a young Pāora Tūhaere. Over one hundred Māori warriors also joined them.

On 19 July 1842, Bishop Selwyn gave Rev Churton a license for Auckland. Selwyn had learned te reo Māori. He wrote that Churton should learn Māori and help all people in his area. But St Paul's first vicar focused on European settlers. He refused to learn te reo.

Bishop Selwyn opened St Paul's Church with four services on 7 May 1843. He wrote that Māori people came from far away to be there. They wore European clothes and joined the service. This was very different from the quiet English settlers. St Paul's then held four Sunday services each week. Two were in te reo Māori and two in English.

During the 1845–1846 Flagstaff War, people worried that Hone Heke would attack Auckland. St Paul's was made stronger with special shutters. Women and children were put into the church for safety. A military guard stayed there for the night. It turned out the panic was for nothing. The gunfire was for a chief who had died.

More European people came to Auckland. This put pressure on Māori land and society. It made relationships difficult. Because of this, a second Anglican church, St Barnabas, opened in 1849. It was built especially for Māori.

St Paul's was Bishop Selwyn's main church for 28 years. The New Zealand Church Missionary Society (CMS) thought Selwyn was not training enough Māori clergy. It took him 11 years to ordain the first Māori Anglican minister, Rev Rota Waitoa. This happened at St Paul’s on 22 May 1853. It took 24 years for him to ordain a Māori priest. Selwyn did ordain seven more Māori clergy at St Paul's. But some blamed his church style for hurting Māori interest in Christianity.

When Churton died in 1853, Selwyn chose Rev John Frederick Lloyd to take his place. Lloyd was a friend of Selwyn. He respected Māori people and spoke te reo. He had taught mixed Māori and European classes. Together, they tried to create a church for both cultures.

By 1859, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei had given away most of their land. They had given 13,200 more acres to the Crown. Only the 700-acre Ōrākei block was left. Later, this land was also taken by the Crown, except for a cemetery.

Selwyn and Lloyd often spoke up for Māori rights. They criticized unfair land deals that led to the New Zealand Wars. But they supported the Invasion of the Waikato as chaplains. This hurt their and the church's relationship with Māori. This impact is still felt today.

Old St Paul's was seen as a military church. But when the first regimental flags were given to the church, Lloyd refused them. He wanted the church to be a place where "no jealousies of race or feelings of hostility should ever be permitted to enter". He wanted people to remember they were "one in Christ".

When the first St Paul's building was taken down, many memorials were saved. These were for politicians, soldiers, and settlers. But only one plaque directly mentioned Māori. It spoke of 'hostile Maoris at Rangariri'.

Changing Locations

The planned design for the 1894 St Paul's church building. It shows a corner tower and steeple that were never finished.

The first church in Emily Place was taken down in 1885. This happened when Point Britomart was dug away.

A temporary wooden church was built. It was designed by William Skinner. This church was on the corner of Short Street and Eden Crescent. It is now the Tātai Hono marae. This marae is part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Only the current spot on Symonds Street was big enough for the new church. It was also central. It was near Auckland's oldest street, Karangahape Road. By the 1880s, this road was busy with shops. Both Māori and Pākehā used it. The road was a traditional path for Ngāti Whātua. The Symonds Street Cemetery was also nearby.

The new church building opened in 1894. It did not have the corner tower and steeple that Skinner designed. A long economic downturn meant they could not build such a large church. The inside was kept simple. It had a rose window with colored glass and special items from Selwyn.

The 20th Century at St Paul's

In 1908, Reverend Cecil Watson became the leader. St Paul's became a strong center for Anglo-Catholicism. This was a different style of worship. Watson and Samuel Corbin led the church for 50 years. They brought in Sung Mass, choral music, and spiritual healing. Some people did not like these changes.

In 1936, the temporary wooden chancel was replaced. The new one was made of concrete. It is still waiting to be covered in stone.

In 1954, Father Kenneth Prebble took over. The church building and its members were in poor shape. For 20 years, he made St Paul's strong again as an Anglo-Catholic church. In the mid-1960s, Prebble started to embrace a revival of the Holy Spirit. This divided the church members. St Paul's became focused on the Spirit, evangelical, and modern. But it kept its Anglo-Catholic beliefs.

Through popular music and a coffee shop for students, Prebble and Father David Balfour helped St Paul's grow. It became important in the city and even internationally in the 1950s and 60s.

From 1956 to 1973, many repairs were made to the building. This included cleaning and fixing stonework. The roof was replaced. New stained glass windows were added. These included the Endean Memorial, Christ in Glory, and Patteson Memorial windows.

In 1974, the St Paul's Outreach Trust was formed. By 1976, they had made three music albums. These were sung by the St Paul's Singers. They also made songbooks. However, in the 1970s, the Anglo-Catholic beliefs became less clear. The church lost strong leadership and good Bible teaching.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the church worked towards better understanding of biculturalism. They had help from their first Māori curate, Wally Te Ua. A Friday night gospel service started. It helped immigrant families and Asian students. The church also kept supporting women clergy. But many people from earlier times left. Only a small group of Anglo-Catholics stayed loyal. In 2002, the church had only 46 members.

The 21st Century at St Paul's

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many young New Zealanders became Christians in London. When they came home, they wanted a similar church in Auckland. In 2004, a team from St Mary's London was invited to St Paul's. They started new services for families and young people. Reverend Mike and Bex Norris led this. About 80 people who had been to St Mary's in London joined them. The church grew a lot. By 2009, it had 1,335 members.

From 2009 to 2013, St Paul's held GLOW Carols by Glowstick at Auckland's Vector Arena. About 10,000 people came each year. St Paul's also made Christmas films for the event. The Christmas Story has been watched 4 million times on YouTube. In 2012, they filmed O Little Town of Bethlehem in modern Bethlehem. In 2012, St Paul's released its first live worship album, GOD w/ US. It included the voices of about 800 people.

In 2013, Reverend Mathew Newton asked the Anglican Diocese of Auckland to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. This was because of climate change. The Diocese agreed. It was the first New Zealand group to do so.

In 2015, St Paul's published a book called Stories. It had personal stories and photos from 128 children, youth, and adults from the church.

From 2015 to 2019, St Paul's held Alt Carols. This was a different Christmas event. It mixed music, art, and design. Albums of remixed carols were released in 2017 and 2019.

From 2019 to 2022, the church building was repaired and made stronger. This was led by Esther Grant, architects, and engineers. The building needed to be stronger after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. On 5 March 2020, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei led a blessing for the work. St Paul's thanked the descendants of Apihai Te Kawau for the land. Large timelines showing the stories of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and St Paul's were put up during the work. Future plans include a new roof, more strengthening, and restoring the inside. They also plan to add stained glass and build the spire.

In 2020, Reverend Dr Nathan McLellan became a priest in the tikanga Māori Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau. He was also allowed to work at St Paul’s. This is special because St Paul's is part of the tikanga pākehā Auckland Anglican Diocese.

During the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, St Paul's held services online for 52 weeks. They made 400 videos. These videos were watched 436,700 times. Their 2021 Christmas services were only online.

St Paul's has 20 staff members. This includes a priest in charge, three assistant priests, and a worship leader. In May 2023, Pete Watson became the new vicar of St Paul's. He officially started on 13 December 2023.

Music and Videos

St Paul's Singers

• Songs for Prayer & Praise, album (1974)
• Arise my Love, album (1974)
• Harvest of Joy, album (1975)
• New Harvest, album (1981)

St Paul's Music

• GOD w/ US, live album (2012)
• Creation's King, single (2014)
• Alt Carols, compilation EP (2016)
• Alt Carols, Vol. 1, compilation album (2017)
• Alt Carols, Vol. 1.5, compilation EP (2018)
• Alt Carols, Vol. 2, compilation album (2019)
• See Again (Bartimaeus), single (2020)
• You Are My Desire, single (2022)

SPAM (St Paul's Arts & Media)

• The Christmas Prophecy (2006)
• Google Earth Christmas (2006)
• Open (2007)
• The Open Post 1&2 (2007)
• Open – Alice (2007)
• Family – An Exploration (2007)
• The Big Little Easter Story 1&2 (2009)
• O Little Town of Bethlehem (2012)
• 766 Christmases (2013)
• Star of Wonder (2016)
• Gold Frankincense Myrrh (2017)
• Stained Historical Stories – Talks 1–4 (2018)
• This is Christmas (2019)
• Palm Sunday Reading (2020)
• Easter Sunday Reading (2020)
• Christmas, I Choose to Remember (2020)
• Common Christmas Questions (2020)
• The Stories of Advent 1–6 (2021)
• Jesus Meets His Mother (2022)

St Paul's

• Life (2007)
• How We're Doing It (2009)
• Life Questions (2011)
• GLOW Event Opening (2011)
• Date My Mate NZ (2012)
• International Students (2013)
• Life Course (2013)
• Mike & Bex 10 Years (2013)
• Twins and Twins (2014)
• GLOW Promo (2014)
• Visual Identity (2018)
• Big Issues (2020)
• Restoration Update (2020)
• The Story of St Paul's (so far ...) (2021)
• The Open Course (2021)
• The Evening Service (2022)
• 400 pre-recorded and live online service, prayer, youth and kids videos, during COVID-19 restrictions (2020–21)

SPANK (St Paul's Arts 'n' Kids)

• When God Was Born (2008)
• Boys (2009)
• The Christmas Story (2010)
• Good News of Great Joy (2011)
• My Mum (20012)
• An Unexpected Christmas (2012)
• Star News Bethlehem (2013)
• The Story of the Whole Bible (2019)

St Paul's Music

• GOD w/ US 1–14 (2012, 2014)
• Creation's King (2014)
• Alt Carols 1–5 (2016)
• See Again (Bartimaeus) 1&2 (2020)
• You Are My Desire (2022)

Gallery

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  The Auckland waterfront with Māori waka and the original St Paul's building above Point Britomart, painted in 1852.

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  The temporary St Paul's building photographed in the 1880s.

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  Architect's perspective of the third building published in 1894, showing the unbuilt steeple.

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  The third and current St Paul's building photographed in 1909.

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  A St Paul's Evening Service, 2012.

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  A St Paul's artist performs at Alt Carols for Christmas 2017.

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  St Paul's on Symonds Street, 2018.

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  St Paul's community participating in an annual Quiz Night, 2019.

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  Artists perform at Alt Carols for Christmas 2019.

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  Building restoration scaffold wrap, including Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and St Paul's timelines, 2020.

Windows gallery

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  The large western Rose Window, with tracery designed by William Henry Skinner, glazed with cathedral glass, was the only stained glass installed during construction, 1895.

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  The northern Derbyshire Window, by James Powell and Sons a.k.a. Whitefriars Glass, in the Lady Chapel, depicting the Adoration of the Magi, Annunciation and Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, 1951.

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  The southern Endean Memorial Window, by James Powell and Sons a.k.a. Whitefriars Glass, in the Requiem Chapel, depicting the Baptism of Jesus, Adoration of the Shepherds, Crucifixion of Jesus and Flight into Egypt, 1959.

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  The large eastern Christ in Majesty Window, designed by Lawrence Lee, Royal College of Art, in the Chancel, depicting Mary, mother of Jesus, Jesus, Paul the Apostle, a dove symbolising the Holy Spirit and an eye symbolising God the Father, 1967.

Leaders of St Paul's Church

Memorial to Rev John Frederick Churton, located at Emily Place Reserve, close to the site of the original St Paul's building, photographed in 2012.