Rev. Joseph W. Kemp
NZ Baptist - April 1931

The church building at Napier is wiped out. Nothing could be more complete than its destruction. In rummaging amongst the debris it was hardly possible to salvage so much as a souvenir. One could see a few strings of the piano, the wheel of a sewing machine, and broken crockery, but the fire that raged through the city immediately after the earthquake licked up everything the church possessed. The congregation has been scattered and although no loss of life amongst the members has been reported, the people have taken refuge elsewhere. The situation thus created is a most difficult one. Under Mr MacHattie's ministry, the church was enjoying a measure of blessing. For nearly a whole year a prolonged prayer meeting had been held every Saturday night, for Revival. In its stead, earthquake, wind, and fire, and the work of years has disappeared. The minister, who was on holiday at the time of the quake, hurried back from Taupo and did what he could to rally his people and assist in their hour of agony. But the majority had left the city, and for weeks no trace could be found of some. After five weeks, a marquee was secured and pitched on the croquet lawn in Nelson Park, and here, amid very pleasant yet sad surroundings, the Gospel is being preached from week to week with encouraging results. During all the earthquake period, our returned missionary from India, Miss Hilda Rice, has been doing most heroic work. She has attended the sick and ministered comfort to the sorrowing, and in ways too numerous to tabulate has given temporary service wherever possible, and that notwithstanding the great personal loss sustained in the disaster. We must stand by the Napier Church and its minister. Later on, when financial matters are adjusted, the Church will not require the Union's aid, but meanwhile help is absolutely essential.

After spending a full week with our Napier friends, Hastings was visited, and here again a pall of horror seemed to hang over the town. Ruin and death everywhere. The Rev. E. Nicholls and his devoted wife passed through the awful hours of the sudden visitation, Mrs Nicholls marvellously escaping death by inches. As she was thrown forward by the immense jolt of the quake, a huge piece of falling masonry took the heels off her shoes as clean as if cut by a razor. Beyond being bruised she happily escaped injury. The manse was badly damaged, and the furniture, pictures, crockery, glassware battered about with such force as to reduce much of it to matchwood and powder. All this is a very great personal loss to our friends. The church building has stood up to the strain, and with the exception of a crack above the front door, has suffered no injury. Many in the congregation have lost their all, and business men who a few weeks ago were in comparative comfort are now without any means of livelihood. It is wonderful how, under such conditions, the Church has been able to maintain its service. By combining with the Methodists, who lost their beautiful building, a very fine congregation has met weekly in the Sunday School hall—the two ministers sharing the preaching and the two Churches dividing the collections. The earthquake has broken down many things—ecclesiastical palings among their number—one could wish they might never again be erected. With a vastly diminished revenue, Mr Nicholls and his people are bravely facing the future, and if prosperity again smiles on Hastings, the business people in our Church there will share in it. Meantime—what?

The Union has set itself to raise £500 to enable these two churches to carry on for the next few months. Current expenses have to be met, and this cannot be done without the denomination standing behind the work during this impoverished time. A year or so from now the conditions, we trust, will be back to normal, but in the interval our brethren in this stricken region are looking to us for support, and we shall certainly not allow them to look in vain. Already the Union, operating through the Central Auxiliary, has shouldered the load, thus relieving our brethren's minds of all unnecessary anxiety, but it waits the co-operation of all the churches.