St John’s Anglican Church stands on Dick’s Hill, overlooking Main Road and The Village in Wainuiomata. Located at 119 Main Road, the distinctive concrete block building was once an important centre of worship and community life, although it has stood empty for approximately a decade.
The church’s origins date back to the years immediately following the Second World War. Anglican services were first held in Wainuiomata in 1945, and land was purchased for St John’s the following year. In 1951, a modest church building was erected on the property, which later became known as St John’s Hall. As Wainuiomata’s population expanded throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the congregation grew, eventually creating a need for a larger place of worship.
Construction of the present church began in 1983 and was completed in 1984. Among the clergy associated with St John’s were Mr Decandle and Reverend Dr Ross Wards, who served the parish from 1981 to 1988. Wards also designed and handcrafted the church’s impressive stained-glass windows, which remain one of the building’s most distinctive architectural features.
In 1993, St John’s and Holy Trinity joined to form the Anglican Parish of Wainuiomata. However, declining congregation numbers eventually contributed to the closure of St John’s around the mid-2010s. The adjoining hall survived as a recreational facility and has continued to accommodate community sporting activities.
Following the church’s closure, the property gradually fell into disrepair. A former vicarage was demolished around 2023–2024, and the vacant church subsequently became a target for vandals, suffering break-ins, graffiti and extensive interior damage. Remarkably, the stained-glass windows have survived largely intact.
In October 2026, the Anglican Diocese of Wellington placed the property on the market, opening the possibility of restoration by another Christian congregation or redevelopment of the site for housing. Although its future remains uncertain, St John’s Church is a reminder of Wainuiomata’s post-war growth and the important role churches once played in the social and spiritual life of the valley.
