by Margaret Rodgers

Looking for a church to visit in Christchurch, New Zealand?

St John’s, Latimer Square has a number of thriving congregations under the ministry of rector, the Rev Wally Behan and his wife Rosemary. Their 10.30am Sunday congregation has run into a problem that most clergy long for: it’s too big for the church building.

Faced with that dilemma, what do you do? Start an 11.30am for the overflow? That’s a possibility, but a more effective strategy in their context is to meet in a larger venue that will house the present congregation and have room for many more. So, with the approval of the Bishop-in-Council for this new proposal, the St John’s mid-Sunday morning gathering now meets in the Chapel of St Margaret’s College, Merivale, a near-by Diocesan girls’ school.

St John’s, on the edge of the Christchurch business district, is marked by expansion. What are the clues to the growth? Wally Behan suggests the priority given to expository preaching and the encour-agement of membership of Bible Study groups. When Wally, a former merchant seaman, commenced his ministry at St John’s, the congregation numbered between 50 and 75, but now at least 400 people attend services each Sunday.

Ten years ago when the Diocese asked for strategies for growth, Wally’s response was clear. St John’s would preach the Word and reach people for the gospel in that way.

“I have preached the Word and God has grown the congregation in ways you could never believe,” Wally said. “We’ve done nothing that can be labelled dramatic and we’ve had no massive schemes, but we’ve seen steady growth.”

In the mainly liberal- Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, which Wally says has a strong element of liberal mysticism, this traditional, biblical ministry is dramatically different.

Wally’s expository preaching style is clear and compelling. The worship service is recognisably Anglican while being contemporary in style. Numbers of people, women and men, participated in the service that I attended recently – a service led by by Assistant Minister, the Rev Peter Collier, a Moore College graduate.
Peter is pastor to the growing evening service. He has also started a ministry in the Christchurch Polytechnic near Latimer Square, and conducts two weekly Bible studies there.

Mark Santich, also a Moore graduate who ministers among students at the Canterbury University, has made his fellowship home at St John’s with his wife Renee and family. They also assist the ministry.

Wally Behan is not a person to sit back and think there’s no more to do. A Moore Mission team led by Richard Gibson visited this year, and January 2004 will see their first Christian Youth Convention, modelled on the Katoomba Youth Convention.

Any Sydneysider visiting Christchurch and looking for a church is certain to find a warm welcome at St John’s, Latimer Square