One Roof editor Owen Vaughan says there will always be a market for quirky spaces with a sense of reverence. Some are converted into houses and others into commercial premises like eateries - or function venues like the former chapel at the Marist Seminary in Taradale.

But those considering buying a church need to be aware that they can be expensive to buy, renovate and maintain. Some are heritage listed.

Practical concerns

Wairarapa-based real estate agent David McHattie has a bit of experience, selling three churches in recent years.

"Once you actually bore down to the costs… for most people it becomes too hard" he says.

Wellington architect Simon Novak advises "You need to be passionate about it - and have time... You do it because you're in love with it".

That seems to be a commonly held view among agents and buyers.

Most churches that go on the market have been deconsecrated. The renovated and converted ones don't present buyers with much in the way of trouble, says Vaughan.

It's a different story if you have to convert the building. The churches are often old. Buyers could have "a kind of testing time" trying to get their renovation project through all the rules and regulations, Vaughn says.

Size is another issue to consider. Where renovating rooms in a house can be challenging, doing the same in a cavernous church space is something else.

"So you've got to have a lot of faith when you take on these projects" says Vaughn.

You also need to be brave

Lower Hutt couple Jane and Wayne Gillingham know about converting a church building. They bought Greytown's 1880-built Sacred Heart Church for $625,000.

They didn't have a plan for its use - they just wanted to repair its sorry-looking dilapidated state.

Once repair work started, local congregations began asking if they could use the building for services and social activities. The answer was "yes".

Now the building has a new roof, upgraded kitchen and bathrooms and a freshly landscaped garden. It will host weddings - which "might help pay the rates and insurance" - and community gatherings, the Gillinghams say.

On a completely different scale - and needing major seismic-strengthening work - is Oriental Bay's 1908-built St Gerard's monastery and chapel complex. Its new owners purchased it for a reported $4.65 million last year. They're keeping mum about the prominent landmark's future.

But even though there is an enthusiastic market, not everyone's brave enough - or wants to - live in a church, Vaughn comments.

"They're a bit like marmite" he says unexpectedly. "Not everyone likes them. Some think they're creepy. Others love living in them. They make popular Airbnb accommodation. Some love the stained glass and the ecclesiastical ambiance."

But there's certainly a market for the willing. And prices are still moderate Vaughn says.

Source

• Stuff
• NewstalkZB

There are provisos, however. For instance, congregations must be willing to engage with their communities.

Sir Paul Britton (pictured), who chairs the grants committee for the National Churches Trust (NCT), says England's "splendid inheritance of churches is under great threat from dwindling congregations, probably to be accentuated by the current pandemic."

He is concerned that many churches will never reopen after the pandemic. He says some Anglicans, especially, are hoping this will enable them to dispense with buildings they regard "as an encumbrance".

Britton says the organisations campaigning for England's churches and chapels "has never been greater".

He is optimistic that the great majority can have a viable future, provided that their congregations are willing to engage with their communities and make these buildings useful for both secular and religious purposes.

An NCT report, The House of Good (2020), estimates the church buildings' economic and social value to be £12.4 billion each. Averaging around £300,000 per church building, the report says these buildings "provide the social glue that keeps our communities together," the report concluded.

Although the NCT receives no regular direct funding from the Government or church authorities, it was given £1.7 million in grants last year. The grants are for urgent repairs to churches and chapels, essential maintenance and installing community facilities.

The NCT notes there is a particular threat to pipe organs in churches and chapels. It would like a new strategy to identify the most important instruments at risk and to find new homes for these, — or at least safe storage until a new home can be found. Many are at risk of deterioration because they are in abandoned churches. Many others have been vandalised.

Journalist and presenter Huw Edwards, himself an organist, says communities shouldn't be deflected by the ignorance or indifference of others.

"This is a vitally important part of our cultural story. These church and chapel organs are a direct link with previous generations — our ancestors — whose cultural values and priorities are all reflected in the buildings they funded. They are a musical window into a very different world."

More than 80 percent of NCT funding in 2020 was used to support places of worship in England, where the majority of the UK's church buildings are situated. It provided 259 grants, totalling £1,718,419, to keep churches and chapels in good repair and with up-to-date facilities.

Twenty-six churches were removed from Historic England's Heritage At Risk Register with the help of grants. Forty percent of the total value of grants supported churches located in the most deprived areas of the UK. Demand for grants was described as extremely high: 722 applications were received — an increase of 40 since 2019.

Source

• Church Times
• Image: Twitter

The new building has two blocks.

ToRot Block (Building A) has a conference room with a capacity of 100 people, 25 workstations and 11 living rooms.

Mazzuconi Block (Building B) has a fireproof archive room, office space for 15 workstations, parking space and two residential flats.

According to CBC General Secretary Father Victor Roche, there is also a recording studio space for the commission of communication with the possibility of a future radio or television station.

The money for the construction came from:

• Fundraising
• The prime minister's office - 3 million
• MISSIO Aachen - 1.08 million.
• Other leaders and generous donors - 1.22 million

Those attending the ceremony included Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's first prime minister, and the current prime minister, Peter O'Neil.

In his speech, Somare acknowledged the role of the Catholic Church in the development of the country.

'The Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have, through their efforts, made a contribution to keep alive the teaching of Christ in the country," the Grand Chief said.

O'Neill congratulated the architect and the builders who had constructed a wonderful building.

"It will not only serve the Church but also serve our people in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands. It is important that the government continues to support the work of the Church.

"The government and the church must work hand in hand in partnership to not only develop our country but to also provide spiritual guidance for our people and make sure that they have the services they deserve in education and health," said the prime minister.

TSource

• onepng.com
• looppng.com
• Image: looppng.com

And another former convent in Grey Lynn has just been sold for $4.1million.

Warwick Jordan who runs Hard to Find Bookshop needed a new home for his 90,000 books.

His shop was in Onehunga but the building was sold and the new owners wanted a commercial rent.

Even after he had raised $27,000 on the Givealttle website he still did not have enough to keep going.

So Jordan asked Bishop Dunn if the Catholic church has any suitable property available.

The Church offered him a vacant building in Newton which had been a convent.

It had once been, for a short time, home to St Mary of the Cross, Mary MacKillop.

It was in poor condition but it rent was within Jordan's reach.

He used the money from his Givealittle campaign to buy 2km of timber for shelving.

And he spent about $100,000 refurbishing the building.

The Hard to Find Bookshop reopened for business in its new location last week.

The other convent at 454 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, is a 1922 Spanish Mission-style building.

It has not been in church ownership for 25 years.

The Tower Group purchased it in 1993 and it has been on-sold since then.

It did have a Heritage B status but that has been lifted

Now known as the Hotel California it has become a boarding house for needy people who are a bit down on their luck.

Auckland Council last year served health notices on the then owner who was given a month to fumigate the building and arrange for cleaning and repairs.

At that time the owner, Rentyn Turner, would not comment when approached by the Herald at the boarding house.

Source

• newsroom.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: hardtofind.co.nz

Buyers are attracted by the big spaces and the unique architectural features of the buildings.

In many cases, the former churches are protected by their heritage status which means they cannot be demolished or significantly altered.

Here are three examples of church-to-home transformations:

A desire to escape the Auckland rat race led Nelson's Steve Galpin and Tor Muriwai to their former Methodist church.

Built in 1904, it had been converted into a café, while at the rear there was a two storey, three-bedroom home, formerly the Sunday school hall.

The pair filled the space with their treasures, but have recently moved on - it was just too big.

Jaimee and Ryan Whiston converted a huge unused church in Dunedin into a home creating a place for their young family in the city's waterfront suburb of St Clair.

They said "church conversion was never on our radar but we are both creative and really didn't want another typical renovation."

When they saw a church was for sale, they just had an overwhelming urge to go and look.

"Once we walked inside and saw the stunning windows, we were sold."

Clemency Boyce and Greg Donson converted a former Whanganui Presbyterian church hall into a family home for them and their two children.

Donson was one of the children who attended the Sunday school services back in the 80s.

He had many happy memories of the space and, when he returned to Whanganui, he happened to arrange a visit.

Coincidentally the church was planning to sell, so the pair jumped at the chance to convert it into a home to share with their daughter Tilda and son Inigo.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

He was in Christchurch last week to assist the Presbyterian Church and Union Churches with its rebuild programme.

10 out of 34 of their congregations in Canterbury have been unable to use their main halls of worship since the earthquakes.

McGowan says the trend in the United States was for sites that were not "Christian country clubs", used for a few hours on Sundays.

The goal was to throw them open to the whole community, even different faiths, as well as the secular.

The architecture should be such that "people don't need an invitation to step inside".

"Even as we build walls, how do we tear down the walls between faiths and people?"

This means facilities the community can use, such as committee rooms, meeting spaces, facilities for children and teens, community gardens and the like.

Mel McGowan is the founder of Visioneering Studios, an architectural and community development ministry which was awarded the 2008 Solomon Award for "Best Church Architect".

He has been named one of the top 25 cultural influencers by OC Metro magazine for his role as an "Architectural Evangelist".

Source

• Tony Morgan Live
• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

During August, Sunday morning worship services have focused on The Word. On 5 August, the focus was on Spirited Conversations. The following is one of the spirited conversations, held between Anna Gilkison and Kathy Stirrat during the service.

Introduction (Anna)

Church is Wherever God's People are praising.

At the Methodist Synod School of Theology during a discussion about issues facing the churches, every small group talked about buildings. We are preoccupied with worry about buildings and some people (!) think we should get rid of them, go back to our roots, become simple house churches again. But it isn't that simple!

Anyone with a family who can't afford to buy their own home knows how insecure that can make you feel. If we got rid of our buildings we'd feel the same insecurity, the same stress. We'd be limited in what we could do, not just for ourselves but for the community. Having a solid base for our ministry makes that ministry more effective. It also means we have a visible presence in the community.

Introduction (Kathy)

Church without a Church.

The Church is wherever God's people are praising,
 knowing they're wanted and loved by their Lord.
 The Church is wherever Christ's followers are trying
 to live and to share out the good news of God. That's the first verse of a well known hymn by Carol Rose Ikeler. As the hymn says, the church isn't the buildings, or traditions or rituals or a physical location necessarily, rather the church and God is wherever people meet together to pray and praise, to worship and welcome, to care and share, to seek and to serve others in the name of Christ. Read more

Sources

• Johnsonville Uniting Church
• Image: Sunnysblog