A THUMBNAIL HISTORY OF
THE MT ALBERT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This month, One Hundred and One Years Ago
On February 22, 1913, Mr J C Entrican laid the foundation stone for the Mt Albert Presbyterian Church. Six years earlier, a group of interested men, Messrs J Crawford, J R Hughes, D MacPherson, J C Entrican and J Gailey had a dream, a dream of a Presbyterian Church for Mt Albert. The project began slowly, like Mainland Cheese, good things take time, but from February 1913, Mr J H Jenkin erected the pretty little Arts and Crafts church on the corner of Mt Albert and New North Rds in record time.
101 years ago on 6 April the builder, Mr J H Jenkin, completed his brief to build the Mt Albert Presbyterian Church in a very short time and below budget. Opening Day was 6 April 1913 when three services were held. The Opening events were reported in both daily newspapers, and congregations of 200 at each service were noted. The large leadlight windows, gifts of the Building Committee were described. Sunday School began the week after the Church was opened, in the building, each Sunday afternoon. Within the year, a Women’s Guild had been formed. There was a choir, and a Board of Managers. It was five years before a Session was formed, Presbytery giving considerable guidance over this period. Thus the foundations, material and spiritual, were laid.
The full story can be found in the recently published book, “The First One Hundred Years of the Mt Albert Presbyterian Church”. Copies are still available from the Church Office, ph 8467576, or mapcanz@xtra.co.nz at a cost of $35 plus postage each.