This Sunday, September 1, the parish will mark this impressive milestone with an open day for the public and a series of special events for the church community.
The historic church buildings in Thorn St, Caversham, will be open from 9.30am on Sunday to visitors who wish to have a look inside and reminisce.
This will be followed by a church service of celebration and thanksgiving at 10.30am.
About 70 people will gather for lunch and to view memorabilia at St Margaret’s Church in Green Island.
Like many churches of its time, Caversham Presbyterian Church had a modest beginning, rising from an interdenominational Sunday School which existed in the Caversham area from 1863.
The Otago Witness of September 1869 reported the opening at Caversham of a Presbyterian meeting house and church, which had been donated to Caversham by the parish of St Andrew’s.
It took until September 1874 before the church was raised to full status, with the induction of the Rev John Naismith Russell in February 1875.
The past 25 years of the parish has been a time of major change, including the Caversham Parish becoming Coastal Unity Parish and continuing its Christian mission in Caversham, St Clair and Green Island.
In 1999, the Corstorphine-Concord Parish made the decision to close its church. In 2000, about 22 members of its congregation joined the Caversham congregation.
The trend of falling church attendance continued, resulting in the merging of many parishes, and in July 2002, the St Clair, St Margaret’s Green Island and Caversham parishes came together as Coastal Unity Parish.
In 2024, Coastal Unity Parish remains in good heart, under the leadership of locally ordained minister Rachel Masterton, despite being a smaller and older congregation than when it was formed 22 years ago.
Weekly Sunday worship is held at St Margaret’s Green Island and special services are held for Harvest Thanksgiving, Mother’s and Father’s Days, Easter and Christmas, Bible Sunday, Presbyterian Support Sunday and World Communion Sunday.
