Consider the cottage. It was once a humble space for worship before this Epsom Methodist Church stood tall. Let’s step back in time and explore the history of this church.
Epsom Methodist Church has a rich story. It’s a story of community, change, and faith. The seeds of this church were sown long before this building existed.
Originally, a cottage served as the place of worship. It also functioned as a Sunday school. The local Primitive Methodist committee decided to erect a proper church in the County of Eden area on December 2nd, 1896.
After scouting locations, they chose a spot after climbing Mount Eden on December 6th. Thomas Hanson, a settler, donated the land. He subdivided and sold housing in Mount Eden. The initial plan was for a church 35 ft long and 22 ft wide. Its stud height was to be 14 ft high. Messrs Sayer and Cook built it for u00a3157. This price was on par with a typical house. The first church opened on May 16th, 1897. It was initially known as Mt Roskill Primitive Methodist Church.
Later, the Primitive Methodists united with the Methodist Church in 1913. This was formalised by the Methodist Union Act 1913. Due to popularity of both the Primitive Methodist church and nearby Wesleyan church on Mount Eden Road, they remained separate. The area’s name change from Mount Roskill Road to Dominion Road in 1907 led to a renaming. It became Dominion Road Church.
Following the union, a brick church was proposed. The older Primitive churches were wooden. Pitt Street Church, the main Methodist church in Auckland, was brick. The old wooden church was moved in 1914. This made way for the new brick Epsom Methodist Church.
Construction began in 1915, designed by White and Wiseman. Originally, the church planned to use chairs. However, World War I caused chair prices to rise. The plan changed to pews. Seating was reduced from 350 to 299 worshippers. Construction concluded in either 1915 or 1916. Herbert White designed the church. The first service was held on March 24th, 1916.
During the First World War, many young men died. Lance Corporal Percy Watkinson, whose parents were congregation members, died at Passchendaele. He left u00a3200 to the church. The money was to fund a school hall for boys and young men. Further funding led to another hall. It was named the Dominion Road Young Men’s Institute. After 1947, it became the church parlour.
In 1922, a new hall was planned to celebrate Methodism’s centenary in New Zealand. It also accommodated the growing Sunday school. The hall held 400 students. There were separate entrances for girls and boys. The old building was moved to Waterview. As of 1997, it was still in use. The Methodist Centenary Hall opened on December 12th, 1925. Senior Auckland Methodist ministers attended the inauguration. Members of Presbyterian, Baptist, Anglican, and Congregational churches also attended. One reverend travelled from Hastings. S.E. Chappell designed the building in a Gothic style. It cost around u00a34,950.
After World War II, austerity hit. Despite this, the church purchased a villa at 5 Paice Avenue for u00a31,225. It served as a parsonage. The government’s austerity measures, combined with a parlour fire in 1950, caused financial difficulties. The church split from Pitt Street Church in 1951.
In October 1976, the Tongan Fellowship began using the church. During the 1981 Springbok Tour, the church held views opposite to that of the Methodist Church. It opposed the protests. In 1988, the Auckland Fellowship, a Fijian-Indian fellowship, started holding services.
The traditional congregation declined over the years. By the centenary, the Tongan congregation was largest. Later, the English and Fijian-Indian congregations moved to the Mt Eden Methodist Church. The Tongan congregation remains, but the building needs seismic strengthening.
Epsom Methodist Church stands as a testament to faith and community. Its story is etched in every brick and pew. It shows how a small cottage evolved into the church we see today.