Description
For the past 150 years, the Church has played a central role in the life of this kāika – Rāpaki. Either as a regular meeting place for nearly everyone in the community, or in recent years, as a symbol and pōhatu / foundation stone symbolizing the ongoing strength of the hapū.
The early records show that nearly every whānau attended services and supported church activities here. As the years have passed, new generations faced new and different challenges, and their life styles changed. But, when the church fell into disrepair, the values it represented were too important to lose. Thus major repairs and restoration were regarded as a necessary investment in recognising the past and providing for the future. Most of the current residents of Rāpaki have contributed to this account. Their contributions have been essential to this description of one of our local taonga.
