Church to run postal agency

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 4

Church to run postal agency

By

TONY SMITH

in Nelson The Baptist Church will take over postal duties after a suburban post office in Nelson closes next week. The post office in Atawhai, on the northern outskirts of Nelson City, is one of 17 in the Nelson region which will be shut by New Zealand Post on February 5. However, the small post office at Atawhai Crescent will reopen as a postal agency on Monday, February 8 under the management of the Atawhai Community Church. The church’s minister, Pastor Doug Stevenson, said the post office would be leased from New Zealand Post and would be manned by voluntary staff. “People were naturally a little upset that the post office service would not be continuing, so we have stepped in to provide a community service,” he said.

“There is no money in it for us. The 10 per cent commission on the sale of stamps will go to cover the renting of the building. But as a church fellowship we see it as a way in which we can do something for the community.” Pastor Stevenson said the church met at a school hall in Atawhai and the post office would give it a presence in the area. However, it would be used only for the sale of postal items such as stamps and stationery, and would not double as a church centre. Postßank facilities would not be available, he said. The Nelson regional manager for N.Z. Post, Mr John Christie, said the church’s approach was “definitely different.” “They saw they could offset their costs by taking on board a commercial venture and wanted to be considered along with other commercial organisations as agents for N.Z. Post,” he said.