Rhema rush to raise $2.5M

Press, 22 June 1985, Page 9

Rhema rush to raise $2.5M

Radio Rhema is trying to raise $2.5 million in eight weeks to buy new national headquarters in Christchurch.

It wants to buy the former head office of Andrews and Beaven in Birmingham Drive.

A deposit of $500,000 must be paid by June 28, and the balance on July 26. An appeal to raise the money from members of the incorporated society began on June 4. Yesterday $307,000 had been raised, leaving $193,000 to find in one week for the deposit. The Canterbury-Westland regional manager of Radio Rhema, Mr Doug Pflaum, was confident the money could be raised so that the building could be bought debt-free.

A chart in a glossy bro-

chure distributed to society members outlines possible donations which could be made to help reach the target. Amounts ranging from $5 to $lOOO a week are listed in the chart together with the number of people who could be expected to pay. It suggests 1000 people might pay $5 a week, 4000 people $2O a week, and 10 $lOOO a week. Mr Pflaum said the figures were based on the amounts paid by people in an appeal to buy offices in Auckland.

An overseas loan, possibly from Switzerland, would be raised to cover any shortfall in the appeal. “We had originally intended to raise an overseas loan and pay it off over five years but the members wanted to buy it debt-free,”

he said. Each of the Radio Rhema society’s 20,000 members were asked if they supported the move to buy the building. Of those that replied, 95 per cent were in favour, 3 per cent were against, and 2 per cent did not know, said Mr Pflaum. All of Radio Rhema’s departments, now scattered round Christchurch, would be able to move to the Birmingham Drive building which has 4459 sq.m, of floor space.

Radio Rhema was refused permission to expand its Glenfield Crescent studio site because of residential zoning restrictions. Mr Pflaum said the present studios were so cramped, some people had their offices under stairs. There was no cafeteria.

“We just couldn’t take on any more staff because there is nowhere to put them,” he said.

Bigger studios would mean more New Zealand programmes could be produced, he said. More equipment and furnishings would have to be bought for the new buildings. Radio Rhema hoped to raise more than $500,000 from the sale of its existing buildings to pay for the equipment. “We have already had offers of $400,000 for two of our buildings and so we should be able to raise more than $500,000,” said Mr Pflaum.

The vice-president of Radio Rhema, Mr Frank Salisbury, said he was pleased with the progress of the appeal.