Greyfriars Church, Auckland

Greyfriars Church, originally known as the Mt Eden Presbyterian Church, is an early 20th century Presbyterian Church located in Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand listed as a Category II building by Heritage New Zealand.

History
As Auckland expanded areas that were previously farmland started becoming urban and would require their own Church for services. In 1915 the Presbytery of Auckland decided to host evening services in the Masonic Hall on Woodside Road. These services proved popular and thus Mount Eden was given a home mission. Later the Presbytery would pay £2,200 to Archibald Grandison for a Church that could seat 300. Thomas Mullions was the architect. The building would be constructed from ferroconcrete. On the 25th of February, 1917 it was officially opened by Reverend R. Scott West. Shortly after on the 12th of April, Reverend J. W. Shaw was made the minister of the Church.

In 1919 the Church would purchase a manse on Penrhyn Road for £1,450. In 1921 a Sunday school was operating out of the basement. Reverend Shaw would resigned in 1921 due to ill health and on July 7, 1921, Reverend Leonard H. Hunt was made minister. Under Hunt, in 1928, a new Sunday school would be constructed and a pipe organ would be installed. In 1932 he would resign and leave for Karori.

On March 16, 1933, Reverend E. J. Tipler would be made minister. He would pass away less than three years later on the 10th of October, 1935. Reverend John A. Allan would take his place from the 14th of May, 1936 until later resigning in December 1937.

Reverend J. Douglas Smith would become minister on the 7th of July, 1938. Shortly after World War II would occur and many congregation members would serve in the war. During the war and for sometime following it the Church would help send food parcels to Britain and Europe. The Church would develop close ties with the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Plymouth from this. Once the need for food parcels had died down the Church decided to build a memorial hall for congregation members that died during both the Second and First World Wars. £3,000 would be raised for its construction and it was opened in 1952 at a cost of more than £11,000. This was in part funded by a gift of £16,000 from the estate of Susan Wilkie. She would later receive a memorial plaque on the 11th of April, 1954. The Church decided to begin restoration work the same year following completion of the memorial hall. During this period the memorial hall would be used for services. Shortly after this Reverend Smith would resign.

Reverend Douglas Watt would be made minister on the 30th of April, 1953. In 1956 it was decided—due to growth—that the Church would be extended, a new pipe organ would be installed, a new manse on the corner of St Leonards and Cedar Roads would be built, and a new Sunday school would open in the parish. In 1963 all of these goals had been met. The Church's plot would be extended so a car park could be installed, a cloister was added that ran between the tower and the sacristy, the building would be expanded to allow more seating, and a spire was erected on the top of the tower. In 1959 the congregation presented a petition requesting the Church be given a formal name. A referendum was later held, the options were between St. Mark's and Greyfriars. Greyfriars won the vote and the Church was formally named Greyfriars Presbyterian Church, Mount Eden.

Since 2011 the building has been closed due to the building being deemed unsafe in event of an earthquake following regulations established after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Seismic strengthening options have been too expensive for the congregation.

In 2014 the congregation merged with the Epsom Presbyterian Church to become the Greyfriars Eden Epsom Presbyterian Church.