New use proposed for churches

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33650, 27 September 1974, Page 7

New use proposed for churches

Inner Christchurch was accumulating a number of “pretty redundant" churches the Rev. J. A. Elvidge told the annual meeting of the Presbyterian Social Services Association in Christchurch on Wednesday evening.

The churches might b> conveniently used in the fu ture as community centres he said, adding' that h meant centres where Chris tians could gather. no necessarily for religious put I poses. ' Mr Elvidge is the pre gramme director at th Campbell Counselling c entre As St Andrexv's Presby

tenan church, with which the centre shared a sue be came increasingly irrelevant as an inner city church, it could become a meaningful arm of the centre - work he said. Marriage courses As an extension of the centre’s work, course* lot clergy on maniage prepara tion were planned as well as sessions for young people planning marriage, ur new l\ married In his annual report, the director of the centre (the Rev ( v that a wider cross-section of people had availed itself of the centre’s services, refet rals had come from a wider source (with a notable in crease from medical practi tioners). and staff were being called upon for purposes other than counselling In the last year. 1290 p< sons had been interviewed, and TO "interprofessional” case discus-ions held. Mr Mitchell said