ChristChurch Cathedral will be reinstated, the Christchurch Diocesan Synod has decided.

“This was not an easy or quick decision for the more than 220 members of Synod,” said Bishop Victoria Matthews.

From the evening Eucharist of September 7^th, and over September 8^th and 9^th the clergy and laity of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Christchurch listened to the Holy Spirit in prayer.

They also listened to one another, to political leaders and to a panel of experts in the fields of engineering, quantity surveying, law and recovery work from both within and outside the church prior to making their decision. The debate was both robust and respectful.

Calls came in from many churches and individuals across the country and beyond promising prayer to support Synod.

“Option A was chosen knowing we could not please everyone, but the overwhelming message Christchurch people told us was to ‘just get on with it’ and make a decision,” Bishop Matthews said.

“Many Synod members and observers addressed the Synod with passion and conviction, discussing the history of Canterbury and the defining role of the Anglican Cathedral in the creation of New Zealand’s first city.  Other speeches spoke of a vision for the future and the need for change as the church seeks to grow.

“In the end the Synod prayed and made its decision (Acts 15. 28a says ‘it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us’) which was a 54.9 per cent majority to reinstate.

“No one can say the decision was made lightly. It was also made with those in attendance being aware of an 8.1 earthquake near Mexico and a 4.3 earthquake in Canterbury happening during the Synod,” Bishop Vitoria Matthews said.

We have made history today and we can move on.

Continuing an important conversation

We all remember ChristChurch Cathedral as a place where people came to worship from across the city and across the world. It was a place for civic occasions and a space where those passing by could come and enjoy a time of quiet reflection. We are all waiting for this to become a reality again.

There is much work to be done to reinstate a Cathedral in Cathedral Square. As the owners of ChristChurch Cathedral, Church Property Trustees is the entity that is responsible for reinstating a Cathedral.

In late 2015, with the consent of Church Property Trustees, the Government appointed independent consultant Miriam Dean QC to investigate and deliver a report into the future of ChristChurch Cathedral. This report concurred with the work already undertaken by engineers and quantity surveyors on behalf of Church Property Trust, and confirmed the cost of reinstating the Cathedral in a form indistinguishable from what it was prior to the earthquakes at $105 million based on a completion timeline of 2022. It also stated that reinstatement would require repair, restoration, and reconstruction. Please click here to find the full report

Since the release of the findings of this report, Church Property Trust formed a working group with the Government to investigate whether the issues of cost and safety outlined in the report are able to be addressed in order to reinstate ChristChurch Cathedral as it appeared prior to the earthquakes. Please click here to find the Cathedral Working Group Report

This website provides updates from Church Property Trustees and makes available the information upon which Church Property Trustees has made its decisions to date. All decisions have been informed by specialist advice as well as a community engagement process held in April 2013. In total, there were 19,272 visits to the Cathedral Conversations website and 3,819 submissions during the engagement process. Additionally, approximately 500 people attended a series of public forums in Christchurch, as well as one in Auckland. There was also an evening for young adults in the Anglican Church in Christchurch and the Diocesan Synod during this time. These meetings brought forward issues and options for consideration by the Trustees along with material from community members and the advice of architects, engineers and a quantity surveyor. Please click here to find the community consultation to date

As the future of ChristChurch Cathedral is a vitally important question for the Anglican Diocese, the Canterbury community, and impacts the regeneration of Christchurch, on May 21, 2017 Bishop Victoria Matthews announced that the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch’s Synod will make the decision on the future of ChristChurch Cathedral at its meeting in early September 2017. Please click here to view the reports for Synod

Synod is the governing body of the Christchurch Diocese and is made up of more than 225 members representing the entire Anglican Diocese of Christchurch. [The Diocese of Christchurch stretches from Waimate to Cheviot on the East Coast across to Hokitika and Franz Josef on the West Coast]. 

We wish you grace and peace as you wait with us to see a Cathedral back in Cathedral Square.