CathNews New Zealand

What is it with New Zealand churches? Not to be outdone by the All Saints Anglican community in Invercargill, who are proudly flying an All Black flag, one of Auckland’s most talked-about Christian establishments, St Matthew-in-the-City, has gone the whole hog. Fearlessly “progressive” – trendy, in other words – it tells those interested in going along not to expect anything so passé as a Bible study group. What it can promise is unstinting support for the All Blacks. Outside, on a huge billboard, is a poster featuring a ghostly David Kirk, captain of this country’s one and only World Cup-winning side, and the instruction “Pray like it’s 1987”. One other thing: St Matthew-in-the-City produces a publication entitled OMG (the text generation will get it). The subject for debate in the current issue is: “Has religion come to this?” Quite.