As St Stephen’s Anglican Church in Lincoln prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary, church members Jeni Dickson and Christine Purdie look back at its rich history and the celebrations planned to mark the milestone.

St Stephen’s Anglican Church on James St, Lincoln, will celebrate 150 years of continuous worship, with three events planned over the weekend of August 29-30.

Commemorations kick off on Saturday morning with a historic tour, continue in the evening with a celebration featuring guest speakers and images from throughout the parish’s history, and conclude on Sunday morning with a special Eucharist service.

All are welcome to attend with registration required for some events.

The tour departs from St Stephen’s on Saturday morning, with the first stop being Ashley Dene – the site of the first church and cemetery in rural Canterbury.

The Church of All Saints was built in 1864 on land gifted by Richard Bethel, and for a decade served a flourishing rural congregation.

As new churches sprang up across the district, All Saints was eventually gifted to the government and, in 1901, hauled by traction engine to Burnham Camp, where it remains today as All Saints Garrison Church.

The first services at St Stephen’s were held in 1876. Photo: Supplied

After this stop, tour attendees are invited to visit the other five churches of the Lincoln Anglican Parish, located in Rolleston, Springston, Lincoln, Tai Tapu and Greenpark.

However, the weekend’s spotlight is on St Stephen’s in Lincoln. Designed by architect Benjamin Mountford (1825-1898), the first services were held in 1876, and the building was consecrated the following year.

The church was constructed of native timbers sourced from Little River sawmills, which were shipped across Lake Ellesmere to Timber Yard Point and brought to Lincoln by horse and cart.

Mountford’s sanctuary remains a striking example of 19th‑century ecclesiastical design, with its lancet windows, carved pulpit panels and distinctive ceiling crosses.

Over the years, St Stephen’s has undergone several significant alterations.

In 1886, the church was enlarged to accommodate additional worshippers, the exterior walls were roughcast in 1959, and in 1968 the original bell was removed from the belfry and installed outside the church.

The discovery of rot beneath the roughcast prompted a major restoration led by local architect and parishioner Alex McDonald which was completed in 1999. Photo: Supplied

Rot was discovered beneath the roughcast, prompting a major restoration led by local architect and parishioner Alex McDonald.

His redesign, completed in 1999, preserved as much of Mountford’s original structure as possible.

The organ, built by Tom Pearce in 1908, is in original condition. It is tuned and maintained by John Dodgson, and is listed by the NZ Organ Preservation Trust as a category 1 instrument of importance to national heritage.

Damage from the September 2010 earthquake was limited to the sanctuary and wall linings.

Opportunity was taken during the repair process to further strengthen the sanctuary floor and insert steel bracing in the walls of the church.

St Stephen’s shared worship space with the local Catholic congregation, whose own church had been demolished due to earthquake damage, and during repairs at St Stephen’s both communities temporarily relocated to St Mary’s in Springston.

With Lincoln’s population continuing to grow, further changes may lie ahead for St Stephen’s.

Photo: Supplied

A parish task group is currently investigating options to increase capacity and improve flexibility within the historic building, aiming to ensure the church can continue to serve an expanding congregation while honouring Mountfort’s original design.

Commemorations continue at an evening event on Saturday, with special guests Dr Rupert Tipples, president of the Lincoln & Districts Historical Society; Ven. Mark Barlow, vicar of Lincoln Parish, the Right Reverend Dr Peter Carrell, Bishop of Christchurch; and Reverend Canon Ben Truman, former Lincoln curate and now dean of Christ Church Cathedral.

Historic images and stories from the parish’s archives will be shared, along with canapes and refreshments. Registrations close on August 13.

The celebrations conclude on Sunday morning with a special Eucharist service at St Stephen’s, presided over by Bishop Carrell, with baptisms, confirmations and morning tea to follow. The parish extends a warm welcome to anyone from the community to join the service and take part in this milestone occasion.

  • Further details and registration information are available at lincolnanglican.org or by contacting the parish office on 03 325 2780