Waikanae Anglican Parish

Read here about the history of Christianity on the Kapiti Coast and how Waikanae Anglican Parish was established.

In the 1830’s a Maori young girl called Tarore became a believer, and was given a small copy of St. Luke’s gospel as a gift . Tarore treasured this gift and kept it in a tiny bag around her neck. Tragically she was murdered on 19th of October 1836 by a man called Uita from a tribe who hated Tarore’s people , who took the little copy of Luke’s gospel still wrapped in its little bag back to Rotorua . He could not read so asked a slave to teach him. As he learned to read the gospel of St. Luke he was soundly converted and went to Tarore’s father to ask forgiveness which caused a lasting peace between the two waring tribes. This gospel of St. Luke still had not finished its purpose, because the slave who had taught Uita to read shared with two Maori chiefs who lived in Waikanae, about Christianity and sent for the copy of St. Luke’s gospel from Uita . As they read the story of Jesus Christ in their own language they too were converted and walked all the way to the Bay of Islands, to ask for a missionary – soon there was over 500 people daily at morning and evening prayer. When the Maori and Pakeha people built our church – there was no debate about naming the Church after St. Luke, whose gospel had changed so many lives. Who would have thought that a little girls faith, would by a series of circumstances impacted two waring tribes and brought peace, and brought transformation of life in Waikanae . She is honoured by the Anglican Church on pg 23 of the NZ Prayer Book on Oct. 19 as one of NZ’s first martyrs.

St. Luke’s was shifted to its present site in 1906 after being part of the marae, shifting at the same time the marae relocated.

Close to two hundred years later the parish continues with an average of 500 people a week at some act of worship, be it in one of six services held on Sundays or several midweek gatherings at rest homes or in one of the churches.

The vision remains the same, to let Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit transform us to make us like Jesus Christ in our community.