As Holy Trinity Tauranga prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary this weekend, the parish family is reflecting on a legacy that continues to evolve – from a humble missionary church to a vibrant, multicultural hub that still sits at the heart of the city.
Today, the Devonport Rd church is buzzing with energy. Under the leadership of Vicar Nigel Dixon, Holy Trinity has become known not just for worship, but for music, hospitality and community connection. There’s even a ‘Jazz Church’ once a month – complete with woodfired pizzas, local musicians, and what Dixon jokes may be “the only church pizza oven in New Zealand”.
Holy Trinity Tauranga facility manager Jackie Kim, Vicar Nigel Dixon, Vaughan Basanti and Marg Barsanti enjoying a coffee break at the servery which came from the original church. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
“We wanted to make this building live; the original vision was that it would be a community asset,” said Dixon, who has led Holy Trinity for a little more than four years.
“When I arrived from Palmerston North, it was in a challenging situation – a cavernous building and a diminished congregation. We’ve now grown younger and way more diverse.”
The 866-seat auditorium hosts concerts, civic events and gatherings, as well as a Sunday service, with the smaller chapel also holding services.
A reflection
“We’ve become more of a reflection of the city to a multicultural community,” Dixon said.
Inside the large auditorium at Holy Trinity Tauranga. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
That renewal has come through creative innovation – from starting a monthly jazz church to hosting the Dylan Tribute with Kokomo and family events on the village green.
“Today, there is a blend of worship and spaces in which to find a home and belong.”
For Dixon, community building lies at the heart of Holy Trinity’s calling.
“We live in a radically individualised world. People’s most formative social influence is a smartphone and the level of detachment relationally and spiritually that that creates is profound,” he said.
“The church becomes one of the few places where diverse people learn to get on and love each other without politics or ideology getting in the way.”
Exterior of the main auditorium of Holy Trinity Tauranga, featuring a cross attached to the circular prayer room. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
Community connection
That emphasis on community connection isn’t new – it’s been part of Holy Trinity’s DNA since the beginning.
The roots of the gospel in Tauranga Moana stretch back to 1835, a time of unrest and change. In 1838, Alfred Brown of the Church Missionary Society arrived at Te Papa and established a mission station that became a centre for education and outreach. His work helped foster trust between Māori and the mission, though that trust would later be tested by breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and the tragedy of the New Zealand Wars – wounds still being healed in the region today.
Holy Trinity Tauranga facility manager Jackie Kim and Parish Pastor Donald Carter at the entrance to the Memorial Alcove off the lobby, where the laid-up colours of the Sixth Hauraki Regiment are placed. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
By the 1870s, Brown, based at The Elms, was an elderly man overwhelmed by the demands of Tauranga’s growing settler community. He asked the Church to send a vicar to meet the needs of the settlers, and so Holy Trinity Tauranga was born.
First Vicar
The first vicar, Canon Charles Jordan, a fiery Irishman, arrived in 1873 and quickly became a prominent community leader. He oversaw the construction of Holy Trinity Church, which was completed and consecrated in 1875, and he later served as Mayor of Tauranga.
An unmounted print showing a view of Holy Trinity Anglican Church with 12 people seated and standing on right side. Belfry separate from building. On front handwritten in ink "Trinity Church Tauranga Nov 1875". Believed to be a photograph by Charles Spencer. Photo courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection.
From its early years, Holy Trinity became the mother church of the region, helping to plant congregations in Mount Maunganui, Gate Pā, Maungatapu, Ōtūmoetai and Te Puke.
During World War II, the church served as a base for Red Cross operations. In 1999, tragedy struck when the original wooden church was destroyed by arson. The current church, with its light-filled modern design, and world-class conference and events facilities, is a symbol of resilience and renewal.
Inside, memorial plaques, the original lectern, and the colours of the Sixth Hauraki Regiment, laid up in 1973, honour the generations who have worshipped there.
Holy Trinity Tauranga facility manager Jackie Kim in the ‘Green Room’ used for performers. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
Gratitude and anticipation
As the church turns 150, its celebrations will reflect both gratitude for the past and anticipation for the future.
On Friday, November 1, parishioners will gather for ‘An Evening Together’ – a canapés-and-drinks event for the parish family. Later that evening, the wider public is invited to a concert by the acclaimed Nairobi Trio.
On Sunday, November 2, Bishop Andrew Hedge and Archbishop Emeritus Sir David Moxon – a Rhodes Scholar and ‘Palmy boy’ as Dixon fondly notes – will join the Sunday service.
For Dixon, the anniversary is both a moment of celebration and reflection.
“When you step into a 150-year-old story, you must be humble enough to learn the good and the bad. There’s the tragedy and complexity of the land wars. And this church provided and still provides quite considerable civic leadership.”
Parish Pastor Donald Carter inside the circular prayer room at Holy Trinity Tauranga. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
Care and serve
That awareness is reflected in the church’s mission statement: “We are aware that as the first church in the region we carry responsibility to build unity and reconciliation. We have a responsibility to care for our city and serve it faithfully”.
“The challenge is how to stay true to our history, and how can we innovate, and be a church that is not following the culture but is a whisper of a better way,” Dixon said.