In July, parishioner Raewyn Devlin launched a survey to test residents' appetite for restoration of the 130-year-old, category one heritage-listed Tokomairiro Co-operating Parish church, which dominates the southern end of the town's main street.
It received 106 responses, of which 104 were in favour of "some degree" of restoration, Mrs Devlin said.
The 600-seat Presbyterian church was designed by architect Robert Lawson, whose other work included Dunedin's Municipal Chambers and First Church, Dunedin.
It received heritage status in 2008, but today is used only occasionally, for weddings and funerals.
In 2014, a restoration committee chaired by the late Elspeth Robinson funded engineering reports for the building, which gave it a clean bill of health.
However, due to relative disuse, the church now needed "airing", and the committee wished to restore it to a "living building", Mrs Devlin said.
"The survey suggests there is a core of folk who are very keen to see the church restored to a living building. We're planning to open the doors every Sunday and throughout the week, and there are plans for hosting some fundraising events, such as concerts. We're also looking at getting a billboard up to outline our ideas of restoration."
More immediate practical steps would include fixing spouting and drainage.
This would prevent further deterioration while other restoration work was considered.
Additional improvements identified by the survey included new seating, upgraded heating, and restoration of the church's organ, she said.
"There are funds set aside by the restoration committee for the initial works. A new committee will spearhead this progress and we hope it will be completed by the end of summer 2020."
