Knox Church packed house at first service since earthquake

Media Update: Knox Presbyterian Church, 28 Bealey Avenue, Christchurch - New Zealand

21 December 2014

Knox Church packed house at first service

Knox Church had a packed house for its first service this morning after an absence of four years following the 4 September 2010 earthquake.

Reverend Matthew Jack took the service, which he says was a special day for the church.

"This is a good community, they really did get strongly committed to each other and bound together by the experience of having lost the old church."

In the 22 February 2011 earthquake, the church received further significant damage. However, despite an initial $600,000 shortfall between insurance and the cost to rebuild - the decision was made to proceed.

However, the answer was not to change the structure but nor was it to rebuild a replica of a past building.

The heart of the church, and the heritage part of the building with its beautiful timber form that was made visible following the February earthquake has been fully preserved. The architectural design resulted in the retention of about 95 per cent of the remaining building and the internal panelling, and encasing the whole building in a seismically safe envelope.

Significant damage was also done to the 1904 (110 year old) church organ built by Edgar Henry Jenkins. Knox Church retained the South Island Organ Company to undertake a full repair and restoration at a cost of $536,000.00 that involved 15 staff and around 11,000 man hours from start to finish.

The restoration of the Knox Church organ has been a labour of love for 22-year-old Josh Anderson, an apprentice organ builder with the South Island Organ Company, who nearly lost his life in the 22 February earthquake.

Josh was helping three colleagues remove the pipe organ from a Methodist church on Durham St when the earthquake struck and the brick church came crashing down around them.

He was lucky to survive, receiving a broken pelvis and various other injuries and spent six weeks in hospital, but sadly lost three of his colleagues – Neil Stocker, Scott Lucy and Paul Dunlop, all killed inside the church.

Since then Josh has been pulling out all the stops, determined to finish the work his fallen work mates couldn't.

John Hargraves, Director - South Island Organ Company was most grateful that Josh, who was only two weeks into his apprenticeship when the earthquake struck, didn't walk away from the job when many others might have. He says Josh, who is now just nine weeks before completing his apprenticeship, “will make a splendid organ builder.”

No one will be more proud than John Hargraves and Josh Anderson when the Knox Church organ pipes come to life at the church’s first Christmas Eve service in five years this Wednesday at 11.15pm.

At just 17 years of age, Knox Church organist Daniel Cooper had the honour of playing the 110-year-old organ and is believed to be one of the youngest working organists in the country.

All members of the public are welcomed to attend the services:

• Knox Church Christmas Eve Service: 11.15pm - Wednesday December 24

• Christmas Day Family service: 10.00am - Thursday December 25

With shortfall of $600,000 to complete the $5.5 million rebuild, Knox Church is asking for some help through the Givealittle online fundraising website.Donations can be made at: http://givealittle.co.nz/cause/knoxchurch

Most recent Knox Church media coverage:

• TV3 News 19/12/2014: Christchurch quake survivor restores church organ:

http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/christchurch-quake-survivor-restores-church-organ-2014121918#axzz3MOOzdmIz

• Press 20/12/2014: Organ music heard again at Knox Church:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/the-rebuild/64342214/Organ-music-heard-again-at-Knox-Church

• Ollie Wall filming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwJJ4rPCew4&feature=youtu.be\

ENDS

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