About Us

Mission History

The origins of the Christchurch City Mission go back to the appointment of Thomas Ingram Smaill in 1898 as City Evangelist.

He was a city businessman and a lay reader from the Addington Parish. His task was to visit Lyttelton Jail, the Courts, Sunnyside Hospital , the Burnham Industrial School and other such places. Thomas Smaill achieved considerable standing over the years and about the time of the 1 st World War he was appointed by the Government as “Visitor” to Sunnyside, thus conferring on him right of access to that institution.

Mr. Smaill was succeeded at the Mission in 1919 by a clergyman, the Rev'd. Percy Revell a minor Canon of Christchurch Cathedral. In the 1920's Rev'd. Revell organized a “Meal Room” in St. Lukes Sunday School Room as well as continuing with the work started by Thomas Smaill.

Rev'd. Revell founded the Mission as an organization in 1928. The Mission rented a house in Salisbury Street and subsequently purchased one in Antigua Street near St. Michaels Church. At about this time the Women's Auxiliary established a second hand clothing shop in Manchester Street . In 1933 the present Hereford St. clothing shop building was built in the grounds as an accommodation building and was given the name St. Martins House of Help by Bishop West-Watson. The name still persisted into the early 1970's. The building was built with funds collected by the Cathedral to celebrate its own golden jubilee.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's the Mission worked closely with the Mayor and the City Council operating as a Relief Depot attaining quite a high profile and significant public support. This close relationship with the City Council has been retained ever since. During World War 2 the Mission worked with servicemen and their families. In the post war period however life at the Mission was quieter and Percy Revell retired in 1947. At that point the Church Army became involved and the next City Missioners were all Church Army officers. They stayed for short terms until the era of Captain Marvin Hart (1954-69).

In the post war period the formerly fashionable inner city east residential area comprising the parish of St. Johns Latimer Square emptied as the residents suburbanized. This move was made possible by the post war proliferation of the motor car and was replicated in cities all over the world. Thus the Parish went through substantial demographic change. The new Vicar, the Rev,d. David Thorpe found that people slept in the rear pews of the church at night. David put blankets there, and he and his wife began to serve a light breakfast at the vicarage.

The suburban parishioners still returned on Sundays thus the parish retained its strong leadership and sound finances. David Thorpe soon moved to start the Open Door, run initially in the parish hall, for young people who were beginning to appear on the street.

A decision was made to move the City Mission, which was still continuing life in Antigua Street , to the present Hereford Street site. A new Priest Missioner was appointed, the Rev'd. Maurice Goodall, later to become Bishop Goodall. Maurice was paid partly by St Johns and a collaboration between the Parish and Mission was initiated. Two adjacent houses were purchased in 1969/70 and the old St Martins House of Help was placed on the back sections. One house became a Night Shelter run by a live-in couple. The other was the main base for the social workers and the administration

A few years later an old sole teacher school was leased from Mt. Grey Downs near Rangiora. It offered a time out and an opportunity for life change to teenagers whom Maurice Goodall encountered in the court system. During this period what we now know as the Food Bank continued as did the budgetary work both of which the Mission had undertaken for many years. The Mission also developed a family housing project called the Community House, offering families with children the opportunity of supportive accommodation whilst they sorted out any family difficulties and learned the necessary skills for family life. A Court Chaplaincy was also a feature with appropriate referrals to the Night Shelter and other services. A Mothers Group for young mothers, married and unmarried, was initiated and family social work was undertaken as the social work staff numbers increased. The new purpose built brick building was built on the present site after the demolition of the houses and was opened in 1975.

At the beginning of Maurice Goodalls seven year term Mission staff numbered 6 and on his departure 26. Maurice was succeeded in 1976/7 by the Rev. Barry Loveridge who within 6 months moved to become the Vicar of St. Johns Latimer Square. He in turn was succeeded as Missioner by a Church Army Officer, once again, Captain Peter Coughlan. During his term Peter Coughlan studied for ordination and was ordained in 1981. During Peter Coughlan's time in the late 1970's unemployment began to hit New Zealand and it developed into a major crisis for low income New Zealanders as many of whom found their jobs disappearing under them with consequent major disruption to family life. The community as a whole was shocked and the Mission quickly attained a high public profile. Peter Coughlan advocated vigorously for the needs of those who were turning the to the Mission . He had good media skills and the pressure on the Missions services were met with a significant rise in public donations.

Towards the end of Peter Coughlan's time a Sobering Up unit was added to the Night Shelter . The central city Open Door with its meal service was closed. In its place a caravan was located in Cathedral Square to address the issue of street life in the inner city. A Detached Street Worker was also appointed with the same purpose whilst the evening meals were relocated back to the Mission . As services expanded the Night Shelter attendants were moved out of their flats in the main Mission building to live in their own homes.

In 1982 Rev. Peter Coughlan in turn moved to become the vicar of St. Johns after the death of Barry Loveridge. Three years later Peter returned to Auckland to become head of the Selwyn Foundation, an aged care village split off in the 1970's from the main Auckland City Mission.

In mid 1982 the Rev'd W David Morrell was appointed as City Missioner. David had previously been Chaplain at Christchurch Hospital leaving in 1977 to do a post graduate Diploma in Pastoral Studies at the University of Birmingham . He subsequently returned as Chaplain to Burwood Hospital in 1980 becoming Coordinating Chaplain to the Christchurch Hospitals in 1981. At the Mission pressure on services continued as the unemployment problem deepened. Existing crisis services were maintained and developed and in due course the Mission began to generate an array of services aimed at change in people's lives. Work on the streets with the increase in youth street life developed considerably whilst in due course the emergency housing declined. “Streetkid” housing in conjunction with Catholic Social Services was established whilst a Youth House established late in Peter Coughlans time continued. A fire at the Mt Grey Downs Centre saw new facilities built and brought on site there and the occupants became younger.

It was the late 1980's which saw the new proactive services developing. Community development work was put in place followed shortly by the initiation of a non medical or social detoxification service later to be called Thorpe House (1990). With the bequest and subsequent sale of a small farm, adjacent properties were acquired to cope with service expansion on a more stable basis. These included halfway housing for recovering alcoholics (at 278 Hereford Street ) and a supportive housing project principally for disturbed or unstable men from the Night Shelter (at 276 Hereford Street ). In due course a halfway house for those with mental illness was established in conjunction with Sunnyside Hospital and named Walsh House. In the early to mid 1990's however Walsh House was converted to be a drop in and social work service for women and children. The mens supportive housing project at 276 Hereford Street which had declined in numbers and was in due course was converted to be used for a specialized women's addiction day programme called Women's Recovery. This was part funded by the Regional Health Authority. An addictions counseling service had been established in the early 1990's. This was followed in the late 1990's by the appointment of a Youth Addictions worker. As the volumes in Thorpe House began to develop a Home Detoxification service was piloted with health funding in 1999/2000. The Governors Bay project had been developed in the mid 1990's as a camping and gardening project the latter working with those on Police Diversion or Community Service. A Community Mental Health Worker also health funded was added in 2003.

The growth and development in the later 80's and early 90's involved increased annual expenditure from $192,000 in 1982 to $3,200,000 in 2003/4. This service and budget expansion was resourced by a growth in public donations and fundraising culminating in two major fundraising campaigns starting in 1990, with a campaign to raise $1,500,000 pledged over 5 years. It was followed in 1996 by a similar campaign to raise $2,200,000. These campaigns were led by Sir Gil Simpson, Sir Hamish Hay recently retired from the mayoralty, the late Mr. Rex Anderson, the late Mr. Fred Blogg, Mr. Don Donnithorne and Mr. Jim Hay. Both campaigns were over subscribed. A City Mission Foundation was put in place at the end of the 1990's and trustees were appointed. The period as a whole saw a substantial rise in the Mission 's profile and accompanying integration of it into the social fabric of the city reminiscent of its place in the 1930's

n 2004 on the retirement of Rev,d Canon David Morrell, Mr. Michael Gorman was appointed City Missioner. Michael is the first non Anglican City Missioner and worked as a Social Worker and Manager with the Department of Child Youth and Family for 20 years. Michael and the team at the City Mission look to the future with confidence.