Presbytery On Problems Of Inner City Churches

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30155, 12 June 1963, Page 17

Presbytery On Problems Of Inner City Churches

A real challenge, a real responsibility, and a real opportunity ley in the inner city areas of Christchurch, the Rev. D. M. Steedman, convener of the missions and problems of the city churches committee, told the Christchurch Presbytery last evening. Mr Steedman was asking the presbytery to consider immediately the task of assisting churches in areas which had changed from residential to industrial. Where old - established churches once had a strong resident constituency of growing families to fill their pews and organisations, today their constituency was either widely scattered or had gone to outer suburbs and new areas, said the committee’s memorandum to Presbyterian parishes. Yet. at the same time, the overhead for staffing and especially maintenance of buildings in these city parishes was higher than ever, and the burden fell on a dwindling, faithful core. A change from the traditional pattern to one man. one parish was needed, said Mr Steedman. A team ministry of persons with different gifts and responsibilities the only realistic approach to this need. If the Church was to do its task fully, there would be need for additional staff and facilities —counselling rooms, lounge and cafeteria, and facilities for more varied youth work. AU through, the committee saw a greater emphasis in the inner city on week-day activities and a church open to the needs of the people when they were in the city area. This could also mean new buildings and a readaptation of present buildings, he said. The problem lay m the inner city itself, not in its congregations, the Rev A. A. Brash said. The presbytery had discussed the matter without any reference to churches of other denominations ki the area.

Closer co-operation with other denominations in this problem would be considered by the committee, Mr Steedman said.

It was agreed that the Presbyterian Social Service Association and the committee would meet the St Paul’s Church session soon to discuss possible future developments in that parish, which is one of the most strategically placed in the inner city. The presbytery also decided that when there is a vacancy in the inner city, it will .appoint a commission to discuss with the parish its own conception of its particular mission in the inner city. It will also help later in the approach to the right man to carry out this mission.