History

In 1994, by God’s special leading, we purchased the current site, which was a real step of faith because there was little in the way of funds for a project of this size.

In 1996, we started clearing the section and digging the foundation for the gymnasium, which was the first phase of the building project. The work was done largely by volunteers, often digging with nothing more than a pick and shovel. But the people prayed, and God answered, graciously providing help from friends and contacts, which meant that we were able to proceed more quickly than we had hoped. We also sold our small church, the Mana Gospel Chapel in Acheron Road, Mana, at this time, which provided the funds to continue building.

On 4 July 1998, we held our opening event in the completed building—an American Independence Day celebration aimed at children and their parents.

The church continued to hold services and other events in the gym until 2001. By this time we had grown enough to begin Phase 2 of the building project—the chapel, which was officially opened on 22 September 2002.

We pray that we will continue to grow as God’s grace changes peoples’ lives in our community. The challenge is to remain relevant and exciting, offering a community where everyone finds hope and is accepted, without compromising our foundational beliefs.

Our Leadership

We have a team of elders who provide overall leadership and support to the church. Please feel free to contact our pastor, Darryl Ward, or any of the elders at any time:

Darryl Ward 64-4-234 1390

Alistair Eves 64-4-234 8279

Andrew Stewart 64-4-233 8002

Bruce Stormer 64-4-234 8842

Don Ferguson 64-4-233 9807

Geoff Lawson 64-4-233 9136

The Anchor church viewed from the carpark, showing the gym (left) and chapel (centre).