Dianne and Brian Erickson, of Waikanae, have listed the Glenkenich Presbyterian Church building for removal before listing the farm for sale in October.
When the couple bought the farm in the early 1990s, it was running sheep and beef and the church and grounds were owned by the Presbyterian Church and used for Sunday school and weddings.
About the time they converted to dairy, Mrs Erickson leased the deconsecrated church to launch furniture retail business Glenkenich Manner and the shop was very well supported by the community, she said.
Ideally the church would be sold to someone who could restore it to its former glory and use it as a public space, like the former Catholic church in Waipahi, which was now the restaurant Sundays in Frankton — "somewhere I can visit it because I’m quite attached to it," she said.
An exterior church wall includes a stone laid by Thomas Crossan on behalf of John Crossan in 1935. The cottage behind the church was not for sale.
They were proud they had increased milk production of the 500-cow Holstein Friesian herd for the three seasons they had worked for the Ericksons.
Milk production increased to 221,000kgMS per cow last season.
If a sharemilking opportunity became available, he would cut off his mullet hairstyle before approaching his bank manager to ask for a loan.
"Otherwise it is hard for them to take me seriously," he said with a laugh.
The church auction would be in Queenstown on August 16.
