St John’s Avalon Uniting

Services

Service: Sunday at 11:00am (Mainly in Tongan)

Sunday School: 10:00am then join the service

Communion: Second Sunday of the month

Tongan language prayers and bible classes: Wedneday at 7:00pm

Club work (10 – 17 years): Second and fourth Sundays from 2-4pm. Anyone between the ages of 10-17 (from outside St John’s) is welcome to join us

History

After the Second World War the Government developed a State Housing area in the north of the Hutt Valley. Known locally as the “shingle pit” because of the amount of gravel and rocks on each section, Taita presented a challenge to its new residents. As part of this development they allocated two sections facing Molesworth Street to the Methodist Church on which a temporary hall was placed. In 1947 a meeting of Methodist Presbyterian and Congregational Churches decided to form a Union Parish While Raglan had formed a Union Parish already it had never been recognised. However, when the Taita group approached the hierarchy the mood had changed and approval was given for Taita Union to become the first officially recognised Union Parish. A multi-purpose Church Hall was then built on the Presbyterian site in Macky Street. The name St John’s Union Parish was adopted in 1952 at the suggestion of Rev. Ian Dixon.
From 1976 the Parish came under the Ministerial oversight of the Lower Hutt – Petone Methodist Parish. With declining rolls it was decided to close and sell the Church and in 1994 Taita Union joined Avalon Methodist Church. In recognition of this joining they changed their name to St John’s Avalon.