Moving

I have moved to a new provider after something like 6 years with blogspot. I will keep this site but from today move new comments to www.marttherev.wordpress.com

Christchurch earthquake

It is just over a week since the devastating earthquake on 22 February. Anne and I are off to a funeral today - a gorgeous woman died suddenly a few days after the quake - so very sad. I'm involved in the Presbyterian church in the region and tied up with coordinating efforts in the area.

The church buildings of Christchurch have been hard hit - but not so much the church communities. People are more important than buildings and it has become clear that we have built and hung on to the wrong type of building for the earthquake-prone New Zealand landscape. I think that it is time for a rethink and an opportunity to develop distinctive 'kiwi' church buildings that serve us well.

Some of our very much at risk Presbyterian buildings are included in this blog - from the top, St Paul's Trinity Pacific in the city centre (our second oldest church), Mt Pleasant, St John's Lyttleton (our oldest church), St Georges in Linwood, Knox Church also in the city centre.