Heritage

AUCKLAND BAPTIST TABERNACLE

The imposing Baptist Tabernacle at the top of Queen Street was the largest building in the town of Auckland when it was opened in 1886.

Since its founding in 1855 the Baptist Church congregation in Auckland had met in a building on the corner of Federal and Wellesley Streets. In 1881 the new Baptist pastor Thomas Spurgeon arrived from London and his preaching drew such crowds that a larger venue was needed.

The Last Tram passing the Tabernacle 1956

At first, the Choral Hall on Symonds St was used, but eventually the site on the corner of Queen St and Karangahape Rd was purchased, and funds were raised for a building that would seat 1,500 people and accomodate possibly a further 300 standing.

The resulting building is modeled closely upon the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, a much larger building. This resemblance is doubtless due to the fact that Thomas Spurgeon’s father C. H. Spurgeon was the pastor of the London Church at this time.

The Queen Street building was designed by Edmund Bell and would have been visable all the way up Queen St from the waterfront. Both in its position on the crest of the hill at the top of Queen St and its huge Roman Imperial Portico it was calculated to impress. The enormous Corinthian columns appear to be based upon those of the Pantheon in Rome and have recently had the detailing of their capitals restored.

The choice of Roman Classical for the building is because this is the type of building that the early Christians under the Roman Empire would have prayed in. This is therefore a visual manifestation of the Early or “primitive” Christian Church before it was modified /corrupted during the medieval period. Whereas most 19th century Christian Churches favoured one of the various Gothic styles; here the Baptists have deliberately made a public statement to distance themselves from the darkness, gloom and superstition of the Middle Ages.

This is reinforced inside where the spacious light filled interior symbolizes the light of God’s grace. Where most churches would have stained glass windows filled with images here the light is subtly filtered through pale frosted glass in geometric patterns. The Baptists are so called because they reject infant christening in favour of adult baptism, on the basis that one must be cognizant of God’s grace in order to receive it. Likewise they reject church ritual in favour of prayer, group singing and sermonizing. As a result their church interiors tend to be plain with little decoration and no imagery, but with plenty of seating, very good sight lines and excellent acoustics.

The Pipe Organ Arch

Instead of an altar the focus of the room is an elegant arch framing the pipe-organ. The horseshoe gallery is supported by elegant cast iron columns and faced by a beautiful curving cast-iron balustrade topped with a polished cedar rail. The foliage details of the balustrade are picked out in brown and gold. The paneled ceiling is beautifully detailed with delicate neo-classical stencil work painted by Charles Blomfield [ the artist noted for his views of the Pink and White Terraces ] and his brother Samuel Blomfield.

On Easter Monday, 1884, the foundation stone was laid by Dr Kenderdine. At this ceremony, Pastor Spurgeon announced that the building should be opened free of debt. The Tabernacle was opened on 12th May 1885. When the service began, 100 pounds was still required, and this was raised. When the people heard that the building was opened debt free, they sang the doxology over and over again, giving praise to God.

At the completion ceremony in 1886 a group of ladies from the congregation [ including possibly Mrs Blomfield senior ] “very courageously went up in the gas lift to perform the ceremony. It was a feat which few unpractised people would care to attempt”. This gas lift would have been the hydraulic platform lift that had been used to apply the cement stucco on the front of the building. They were lifted to the very apex of the pediment [ the triangular gable ] where they laid the final stone of the building.

View of the Tabernacle circa 1910

Since there were no elevators in New Zealand at the time this must have been an amazing public event reminiscent of the novels of Jules Verne than the opening of a Baptist Church at the far end of the British Empire. Sadly there appear to have been no photographs taken of this remarkable ascent, or indeed of any aspect of the opening ceremony.

The significence of the involvement of women in the opening ceremony was probably due to the important part they had played in the creation of the building. Whereas most Congregations relied upon raising money through loans and thus had to service morgages for years or decades after the completion of a new church, the Baptists were very proud of the fact that when they opened this building it was already paid for.

Opening debt-free was only possible because of the large amount of fund-raising work done mostly by the ladies of the congregation, so their inclusion in the completion ceremony must have been a gesture of special significence on the part of the Church Elders.

View from K'rd corner down Queen Street circa 1914.

View from K'rd corner down Queen Street circa 2008.

Like its model in London, the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle is a significant work of architecture and an important landmark. Both are located in the thick of things, very important, busy central locations, the London Tabernacle is at the Elephant & Castle and the Auckland one is at the corner of Auckland’s oldest, busiest and most important thoroughfares, Queen Street and Karangahape Road.

Thanks to www.tabernacle.org.nz