The Christchurch Cathedral in August 2024. Photo: Rachel Graham
Declining and ageing congregations, crumbling buildings and fewer clergy: are traditional Christian churches in crisis?
The government has recently refused to throw a lifeline to the Canterbury Cathedral rebuild, which has an $85 million shortfall.
But around the country small parishes are struggling with earthquake prone churches and smaller turnouts on a Sunday.
The most recent census data on religious affiliation is from the 2018 census, and shows almost half the population (48.2 percent) had no religion, compared with 41.9 percent in the 2013 Census, and 29.6 in the 2001.
Another study - the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study- reported that in 2019 about 14.4 percent of New Zealanders attended church at least monthly down from 20-25% in 2009.
Religious historian Peter Lineham says some different faiths are coming together to share facilities, while others are too conservative and stubborn.
