The final service will be held at the 94-year old Waikouaiti Presbyterian Church tomorrow when it is officially decommissioned.
The decision to close the 1913 church did not come easily to the congregation, session clerk Betty Dempster said "We are sad to see it go, but we have little choice."
Last October, the congregation ratified the decision to close the church, which is likely to be demolished by the end of the year.
According to an engineer, the church required more than $100,000 of work just to maintain the building, out of reach for the dwindling congregation, she said.
A major upgrade was carried out to reinforce the church in the 1950s, but the more than $40,000 of work did not stop large cracks appearing in the building.
"We could not expect future generations to pay for the costs of maintaining the church, and we don't have the younger ones coming through to justify it."
Members of the parish would now attend church in neighbouring Karitane, and once a month at St John in Waikouaiti.
The final service would be taken by the Rev Geoffrey Vine and begin at 2pm.
