St. David's

Presbyterian Church, Palmerston North, New Zealand

St. David's History


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St. David's History    

    Enjoy reading about some of the history of our Church along with some           

    interesting facts and figures.

    Our thanks to our Archivist, Jocelyn Hannay for collating this!

    DID YOU KNOW THAT:

    On the 2nd February, 1913, the first Presbyterian Sunday School was started in the Terrace End area using the Coronation Hall (now Jailhaus,801 Main Street). This was a branch of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.  Twenty-three children attended.(population of Borough of Palmerston North in 1911 was 10,991).

    On the 6th April, 1913 Evening Services commenced in the same hall. The charge for the use of the hall for both the Sunday School session and the Evening Service was 7/6 (75 cents per Sunday)

    In April, 1913 the section on the corner of Main and Rainforth Streets was purchased and building a Church commenced.

    On the 7th December, 1913 the official opening was held.  The section and building cost £600.

    In 1915 the Church was officially named St David’s.

    On the 1st August 1920 St David’s  was established as a separate Parish with a Home Mission Status.  Mr J H Boyd was appointed as Home Missionary with a Salary £150 p.a. House Allowance £40  Bike Allowance £10

    In June 1923 the Wanganui Presbytery gave permission for the Church to be raised to the status of a `fully sanctioned charge’.

    In September, 1923 the Rev J H Bredin was inducted.  Stipend £300, and a Manse supplied..

    At the Annual General Meeting in that year 75 members were in attendance.

 

    Our Church Organ

    The present Church organ is a Hammond RT3 known as `the posh’ Hammond instrument  The 2 manuals (keyboards) are enhanced by a PR 40 tone cabinet and there is a 32 note pedal board.

  It was purchased in 1962 at the cost of £1304.0s 0d. with an initial deposit of £240. 0s. 0d. The remaining debt paid over the next few years.

  Over the years the valves and mechanical parts have been very well maintained by Tony True and Robert Cleaver and is now the only fully functional organ of its kind in Palmerston North.

  We currently have funds invested with PSDS to replace this equipment, as with most electronic instruments when its `season is over’, it is over.

  Our worship over the years, has been enriched by the organists who in earlier years played at least twice each Sunday.  The list below has been extracted from the Annual Reports:  Miss Parlane, Mrs J Murray (nee Donald), Mavis Buchanan, T P Henderson, E Allen, Marion Locke, Shirley McCullough (nee Brown), Helen Gardiner, Marion Wilson (………..)   and Robert Cleaver (July 1972 - )

 

 

Notes from the Archivist

Ministers who have served our Parish since 1920:

August 1920 - May 1923                     Rev. J. H. Boyd

September 1923 - December 1929       Rev. J. H. Bredin

April 1930 - October 1933                   Rev. L. G. B.Whitehead

December 1933 - April 1938                Rev. J. S. Pate

November 1938 - February 1955          Rev. R. Warnock

December 1955 - January 1965            Rev. I. A. Purdie

December 1965 - March 1969              Rev. J. A. Park

February 1970 - January 1979             Rev. G. M. Cleland

February 1980 - October 1985             Rev. J. M. Cunningham

February 1987 - December 2001          Rev. A. P. Ranby

March 2003 –                                     Rev. P. J. Tankersley ( The Very Rev. from 2008)

                                

 

Deaconess:

November 1953 – June 1955                Sister Valerie Brooker

November 1955 – March 1959              Sister Reita Wilson

 

Assistant Ministers:

March 1958 – March 1959                    Rev. A. E. B. Johnston

March 1959 – June 1961                      Rev. Dr. N. M. Watson

February 1985 – February 1988            Rev. D. E. J. Wilson

 

Minister’s Assistant:

January 2007 – June 2007 , 2008          Rev. J. Symons

 

Honorary Associate Ministers:

October 1980 – December 1982            Rev. D. R. Grant

October 1980 – October 1985               Rev. W. A. Savill

 

Order of St Stephen ( a one year appointment)

1984                                                    Miss C Aldridge

 

Notes from The Archivist

Session/Parish Clerks are a `key figure’ in the smooth running of the Parish and over the years, the following have served in this position

Sept 1920 – Sept 1950                    A.C. Allen

Sept 1950 – Dec 1969                     I. H. Brown

Dec 1969 – Sept 1972                     R. K. Marley

Sept 1972 – Sept 1973                    D.I. McKerras

Sept 1973 – Sept 1982                    B.R. George

Sept 1982 – Feb 1989                     Dr. I.D.Watson

Feb 1989 – Aug 2000                      N.J. Orange  

Sept 2000 -                                    Dr. R. A. Skipp

                                                  

 

 

 

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