Religious Survey Of Inner City

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30738, 30 April 1965, Page 12

Religious Survey Of Inner City

Thirteen churches, representing nine denominations, will take part in a religious survey of the inner city area of Christchurch tomorrow.

Leaflets concerning the survey were distributed last week-end by 30 young people to residents in the area bounded by the four avenues.

The decision to conduct the survey was made after a meeting of representatives of the churches late last year. A study of the district bysenior pupils of a city high school provided the planning committee with the number of dwelling units, including flats and houses. This week briefing sessions have been held for the 300 helpers enlisted to undertake the survey.

They will assemble at the headquarters, St. Paul’s Hall, Cashel street, at 9.30 a.m. on

Saturday. Visiting will be done in pairs, each denominationally different. It is expected the exercise will be completed before noon. The area south of Gloucester street and west of Colombo street will not be included as it has already been studied by St. Michael's Church of England. The convener of the survey committee (Mr R. O. McDowell), said the project would enable members of all churches to combine in an act of Christian witness and service.

Through the survey churches could reach out into the community. A church that did not care for the people was not fulfilling its true function.

The population of the inner city was not stable, and the results, which would be collated and distributed to all the churches, should be most useful, he said. Churches participating in the survey are: the Durham Street Methodist Chwrch; Methodist Central Mission (Cambridge terrace): Moorhouse avenue Church of Christ: Oxford Terrace Baptist Church; Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Barbadoes street); St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (hospital corner): St. John’s Church of England (Latimer square); St. Michael's Church of England (Oxford terrace): St. Paul's Presbyterian Church (Cashel street); the Religious Society of Friends (Manchester street); Trinity Congregational Church (Worcester street); Wesley Methodist Church (Fitzgerald avenue); St. Mary's Catholic Church (Manchester street); and the city corps of the Salvation Army.