The original 151-year-old totara stump piles were pulled out as the church footings were replaced.
Pukehiki Church Trust trustee Derrick Railton said the restoration would be carried out in phases due to funding constraints, but he was excited work was on the move.
"It [fundraising] has been a very intense and major process."
About $300,000 had been raised for the project which would involve repairing and replacing weatherboards, windows and the roof, as well as reconstructing the tower.
He said work would go as far as funding allowed. The trust would then have a better idea of how much more fundraising would be needed for the restoration to be completed.
Gaining building consent would also pose challenges; the consent process had meant some work had come to a temporary halt, but despite that, Mr Railton hoped the first phase would be completed by the second half of the year.
The church was the anchor to the historic precinct in Pukehiki.
"It is a lovely old church, it is a lovely historic precinct ... with the Pukehiki historic hall across the road and the historic library next door."
