The
text below is written as a self-guide for visitors and it
is hoped that one day you will be able to visit in person.
I have reproduced it here with the hope that the text and
the links within it will also be of interest to website
visitors. [cs]
First
Presbyterian Church has a history which spans nearly 140
years and today is the home of an active and lively congregation
which accepts responsibility to care for and use the magnificent
building they have inherited from their forebears. Maintenance
of a building complex of this size is significant but a
policy of continual renewal ensures that this grand architectural
statement of faith is kept in good condition.
Please
make your way from the office through Stobo Hall and on
through the church to the portico at the Tay Street frontage.
First
a word about the building. It is of Italian Romanesque design,
the only church of its kind in New Zealand. It was designed
by Mr John Mair, who grew up in the congregation and later
studied in America. He drew his inspiration from the Italo-Byzantine
period and the building recalls the beautiful work of the
plains of Lombardy, where conditions of climate and available
materials are similar to those in southern New Zealand.
The building is constructed of locally made bricks, more
than a million of them, many placed in beautiful mosaic
designs. The campanile, or bell tower, is 32 metres high
and is a focal point on the city skyline. The walls at the
base of the tower are a metre thick. The original bells,
which were of tubular design, have been restored to working
use by Mr Bruce Hoffman and are played on special occasions.
An electronic carillion, gifted by Mrs Kathleen Kirkby,
is used for most services.
The
present church was built in 1915, at a cost the equivalent
of about $30,000. The Dunedin firm of McKinnon & Hamilton
was the successful contractor and the master bricklayer
was Mr Arthur Sefton of Invercargill. It is the second new
building on this site. The first was opened in 1863 and
subsequently enlarged twice. Stobo Hall, at the rear of
the church, formed part of the original building contract.
It is named after the Rev. A.H. Stobo, the first minister,
who came out from Scotland and was ordained and inducted
on the 29th of June 1860. Sir George Grey, who was Governor
of New Zealand from 1848 to 1853, gave the Invercargill
congregation the right to use the site on which the church
stands.
On
the frontage of the building is a memorial plaque to the
Rev J F H Wohlers, a German missionary who was the first
to bring the Gospel to this part of New Zealand. He ministered
to the Maori at Ruapuke Island, off the coast from Bluff,
which was one of the sites where the Treaty of Waitangi
was signed. The plaque was erected during Southland's centennial
celebrations in 1956.
Look
through the glass doors at the Ythan Street end of the portico
to view the foundation stone of the building, laid on the
26th of October 1910 by a former minister of the church,
the Rev John Ferguson, then of Sydney, Australia, and the
minister at that time, the Rev R M Ryburn, later the Moderator
of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand. Directly ahead,
beyond the foundation stone is a stained glass window based
on the theme of Jesus Christ as the good shepherd. This
is taken from John's Gospel chapter 10 verse 14, where Jesus
is quoted as saying: " I am the good shepherd and know
my sheep and am known of mine." The window was presented
to the church by Mr James H. Boyd in memory of his wife,
Elizabeth and two sons, Edward and Peter.
Etched
into the glass of each entrance door is an Iona Cross, sometimes
called a Celtic cross. These crosses tell of the Scottish
link with the Presbyterians of Southland. The cross is the
type used by the early Scottish Christians on the island
of Iona, off the coast of Mull, Argyll. The circle is an
emblem of eternity, and suggests the eternal quality of
redemption.
Above
the doors, etched into the glass, is a representation of
the symbol of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand,
the burning bush. This originates from the Old Testament
book of Exodus where an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses
in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush, and, as Exodus
records, the bush burned but was not consumed.
Facing
north are nine small stained glass windows, three provided
by the estate of a former choirmaster of the church, William
Quinn, and six gifted in memory of William and Eliza Asher.
Beginning to your right, as you face them, the Asher windows
depict the miracles of Jesus and the Nativity in this order
- 'The Draught of Fishes,' 'The Raising of Lazarus,' 'Healing
the Leper' 'The Three Wise Men,' 'The Nativity' and 'The
Shepherds in the Fields.' The nativity scene was used as
the basis for one of New Zealand's Christmas postage stamps
in 1970. The Quinn windows depict three parables, 'The Good
Samaritan,' 'The Wicked Husbandmen or Tenants' and 'A Sower
Went Forth to Sow.'
Centred
below the nine small windows in the centre of the portico
is a wood carving of The Last Supper, based on the painting
by Leonardo da Vinci on the wall of the Santa Maria Della
Grazia Monastery in Milan. First Church was presented with
the carving in 1909 by Mrs T M Macdonald, a daughter of
the Rev T S Forsaith, who had served for a time in Venice,
where the carving is believed to have originated. It is
a beautiful work of art and dedication and an inspiration
to all who see it. The moment of time depicted is a dramatic
one when Jesus says 'One of you will betray me.' Mr Forsaith
was evidently a man of many parts having been at various
times a sea captain, businessman, politician and Minister
of the Gospel. As leader of the Liberal Party in 1854 he
had the unusual distinction of being Prime Minister of New
Zealand for two days.
Look
through the doors at the western end of the portico to view
the War Memorial Chapel with plaques listing the names of
those from First Church who lost their lives in both World
Wars. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifice of others
and as a place of prayer and contemplation on entering or
leaving the church.
Leave the portico and go on through into the narthex, or
inner vestibule.
Here
are cupboards to house hymnbooks and other equipment and
a book which visitors are invited to sign. At either end
of the narthex are toilets and stairways leading to the
gallery, which is used when seating in the body of the church
is fully occupied.
Now
move into the nave of the church, which is 27 metres long,
21 metres wide and 15 metres high. Pause a moment to take
in the atmosphere and then walk down the wide central aisle
to the rail which separates the chancel from the nave. Directly
ahead is the Communion table, the centrepiece of the chancel.
The front of the table has three panels, representing the
Unity of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Ghost. The centre panel contains the Christogram
IHS, an abbreviated form of the Greek word for Jesus. In
the outer panels are depicted ears of wheat, representing
the bread, and bunches of grapes, representing the wine,
the symbols of the broken body and blood of the crucified
Jesus. The columns at either end of the Holy Table perpetuate
features of the original pulpit, which was replaced by the
present one.
Above
the table note the Cross, the pre-eminent symbol of the
Christian faith, suspended in front of the deep blue curtain,
or reredos. The Cross is of strip bronze with filigree ornamentation
within the outer framework. Similar work adorns the rail
separating the chancel from the nave.
Around
the Communion Table are stalls for the elders of the church
to sit during Holy Communion. At your left are the choir
stalls and lectern, and on your right the baptismal font,
the Rodgers 940 organ and the pulpit, from which sermons
are preached. The pulpit is round, emphasising the earliest
symbols of God, and the circle is ornamented with carved
wooden roses. The rose theme is continued on the lectern,
the baptismal font and around the top of the chancel woodwork.
The Biblical rose is a white flower which blooms only in
the winter of Israel.
Turn
completely around and face the entrance doors. Above the
clock on the gallery fascia is one of the three large stained-glass
windows which spill multicoloured light into the church
on sunny days. This is the Memorial Window dedicated to
the memory of 44 soldiers from First Church who died in
World War I. This pictorial window is in three sections,
or lights as they are called. The central light depicts
Jesus on the cross, the ultimate sacrifice. At his feet
are Mary, his earthly mother and John the beloved disciple.
In the left light is Peter, a knight of the Middle Ages,
and a soldier. The right light depicts St Paul and a Red
Cross nurse attending to a kneeling soldier. The theme of
the window was suggested by the Rev Lawson Robinson, the
artist was J W Brock, of Dunedin, and the work was done
by Smith & Smith of Dunedin.
Turn
now to your right to face the east gallery window which
has as its theme 'Let the children come unto me.' The theme
comes from the time Jesus was preaching in Judea and the
women brought their children with them. As recorded by Matthew
Jesus said 'Let the little children come unto me, do not
hinder them, for of such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'
This is known as the Grigor window, given by Mrs Mary Woodhouse
Grigor in memory of her husband, Dr William Grigor, and
son.
Directly
opposite is the west gallery window, "The Sermon on
the Mount." This window is in a changed, newer form
of art and the different colour treatment suits the strong
afternoon sunlight which streams through this window. The
window depicts Jesus preaching from Mount Jabel Hattin overlooking
the Sea of Galilee. It was a gift from the Anderson family
in memory of their parents, Sir Robert and Lady Anderson,
whose home, Anderson Park, is now a city showplace and art
gallery.
Still
standing at the chancel entrance you can see the windows
on the ground floor beneath the galleries; three sets of
two lights on each of the east and west walls making 12
separate sashes depicting various disciples, evangelists,
deacons and martyrs of the early Christian era. There were
two systems of giving these windows to the church, especially
during the extensive renovations made to the interior in
1956-57, and a campaign to have the windows installed extended
over the decade of the fifties. Some donors gave the entire
window, chose the subject and had the window installed at
their own expense. The others were paid for from a fund
supported by numerous donations.
Start
your examination of the windows at the south-west corner,
on your left. Here we have St Paul, known as the disciple
to the Gentiles. The symbol of the horse and sword represents
Paul wielding the 'Sword of the Spirit' which is the message
of the Bible itself. This window is in memory of the Rt
Rev Jas A Thomson, Minister from 1937 to 1951 and Moderator
of the General Assembly at the time of his death. The second
of this pair of sashes shows the figure of St James the
Great, not to be confused with James the Less or James the
Lord's brother. His symbol is often three scallop shells
but this artist depicts a sword and staff, a book and a
dove, all suggesting the disciple's zeal and missionary
spirit. This window is in memory of William McCaw, Session
Clerk for 56 years up to 1952 when he resigned at the age
of 88.
The
middle pair of sashes on the west wall are of St Matthew
and St John, two of Jesus's 12 disciples. St Matthew was
a tax collector and his symbol is the purse. The scroll
signifies his skill in writing and keeping records. St John
has a scroll and also a cup or chalice with a serpent coming
out of its rim. Early Christian writers state that John
drank from a poisoned chalice but was unharmed. Both these
windows and the two directly opposite on the east wall,
were given by Mrs Alex Strang in memory of her husband,
who was a Deacon for 18 years.
The north-west pair of sashes represent St Thomas and St
Stephen. St Thomas, one of the 12, has as his symbol the
spear. He was said to have built a church in India with
his own hands but was later persecuted and killed with a
spear. He was also known as 'doubting' Thomas and you see
him in this window examining Christ's wounds. St Stephen
was one of the seven deacons appointed to look after the
daily distribution to the poor, a writer and teacher, as
depicted by the quill. He was stoned to death, as shown
in the window and was the first Christian martyr.
If
you now cross over to the east side the first figure in
the north-east light is St Philip, another of the 12. He
was the man who questioned Jesus about the lack of bread
before the feeding of the five thousand. Not surprisingly,
his symbol is often a loaf of bread. There is a second Philip
mentioned in Scripture, often called Philip the Evangelist,
one of the seven deacons and known for his skill in casting
out devils. This may explain the serpent in the window.
The second light is of St Barnabas whose symbol is the quill.
He was a companion of Paul and kept a written record of
Paul's work. This window was given by Mr and Mrs Robert
Shields, in memory of their two daughters who were killed
in the Seddon railway disaster.
The
middle pair of lights on the east wall depict St Mark and
St Luke. The drawing of the figures and faces in these two
windows is of outstanding quality and is in traditional
orthodox church art. St Mark was not one of the 12 disciples
but rather an evangelist and his symbol is the book. His
gospel is the basis of both Matthew's and Luke's gospels.
As far as present knowledge goes, Mark wrote his gospel
first.
St
Luke, likewise, was not one of the 12 but a physician and
an evangelist - a man of learning and culture. He was a
Gentile and scholars think that he wrote the gospel bearing
his name and also much of the book of Acts.
The
last two lights at the south-east corner are of St Peter
and St Andrew. St Peter was the most prominent of the 12
disciples and an outstanding leader of the early church.
His association with fishing is portrayed by the nets and
fishes. This window commemorates the work of the second
Minister of the church, The Rev John Ferguson. St Andrew
was one of the 12 and is the patron saint of Scotland. His
symbol, the diagonal cross, signifies that when preaching
in Greece he was crucified on a cross of that shape. The
window was given by Mr and Mrs James Stobo in memory of
the first Minister of the church, the Rev A H Stobo.
Right
alongside this last set of windows is the Bethune Chapel,
named after the Rev A Bethune who began Presbyterian services
in Invercargill in 1856. This special little area contains
a 1915 chair and Communion table and above is a modern stained
glass window of abstract design, representing a summary
of the Christian faith. It was presented by Dr Una Porter,
a grandaughter of Mr Bethune.
oOo
Please take a seat in the chapel to hear a little more of
the history and witness of First Presbyterian Church, Invercargill.
The church has a great history, but it is also a living
entity. The members of First Church take every opportunity
to live out the mission statement, "A Sanctuary in
the City." Maintenance of the building is an ongoing
concern and in light of the listing of the church as an
"Historic Place," the congregation and office
bearers oversee a schedule of maintenance that will guarantee
its preservation for future generations.
Floodlighting
illuminates the frontage of the building and the distinctive
tower and a sophisticated sound system ensures that even
those with hearing loss can follow the services. The Rodgers
940 electronic organ and a fine quality Yamaha piano provide
the support for congregational singing and also serve as
instruments worthy of concert performance. The musical tradition
at First Church is maintained by a regular choir and frequent
concert performances arranged by the Tay Music Trust and
other organisations. The fine acoustics of the building
make it a superb place for performance of music and visiting
choirs and ensembles often make it their Invercargill venue.
The Tay Music Trust was established to encourage public
performance of music, particularly by young people.
Witness to the community is accomplished through more than
20 elders' districts as well as through women's groups,
Sunday school and boys' and girls' clubs. A lively newsletter
is produced monthly and a worship bulletin weekly.
To
complete your tour visit the First Church Heritage Centre,
above the Church Office, which houses historical records
and memorabilia of earlier days in the life of the church.
It contains much of general interest and also has facilities
for study and research. Copies of records may be obtained
by genuine inquirers.
We
welcome visitors to our services and trust that you have
enjoyed inspecting the church and learning a little of its
history and its role in the city.
oOo
Having felt the peace of this sanctuary in the city,
seen its beauty,
and experienced its tranquillity,
go now in peace.
May
the God who loves you keep you safe
in your journeying and bring you
in good time
safe to your own home.
oOo
