About St Thomas Church
St Thomas Church, Kawakawa is a vibrant Anglican congregation serving the Kawakawa community and surrounding areas. Together with St Michael & All Angels Church in Tōwai, we form the Parish of Kawakawa & Tōwai, a welcoming Christian community committed to sharing God’s love through worship, service, friendship, and care for others.
At the heart of our parish is a desire to know Jesus Christ and to make His love known in our community. We seek to be a warm, friendly, and inclusive church where people of all ages and backgrounds can find encouragement, support, and a sense of belonging. Whether you are exploring faith for the first time, returning to church after many years, or looking for a church home, you are warmly welcome.
Our worship is centred on God, grounded in Scripture, and inspired by the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. We place a high priority on biblical teaching, prayer, and serving others with compassion and generosity. We believe faith is something to be lived out every day through acts of kindness, service, hospitality, and love.
We gather regularly for worship, fellowship, and community events, providing opportunities for spiritual growth, friendship, and connection. As part of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland, we are committed to serving God and our neighbours while maintaining a strong connection to the traditions and values of the Anglican Church.
We would love to welcome you to one of our Sunday services or community gatherings and invite you to become part of the life of our parish.
Parish Information
Parish of Kawakawa & Tōwai
Priest in Charge: The Venerable Liz Martin
Other Clergy: The Reverend Janice Phillips
Administrator: Jim Wright
Physical Address: 29 Church Street, Kawakawa
Postal Address: PO Box 188, Kawakawa 0243
Our History
Our site has a rich history with Anglican worship in Kawakawa dating back to the mid-nineteenth century.
The parish’s original church, St Paul’s Anglican Church, was opened in 1878 by Bishop William Cowie, who served as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland from 1870 to 1902.
St Paul’s Church stood on Church Street in Kawakawa and was considered an important part of the town’s early European settlement history following the coal mining boom. St Paul’s Church served the community for more than 125 years before being tragically destroyed by fire in February 2004.
Bishop William Cowie
circa 1890
St Paul’s Church
circa 1910
Following the tragic loss of the original Church of St Pauls by fire after the 125th celebration, the Parish faced an uncertain future. While we continued to worship and fellowship at St Andrews at Taumarere, we also hoped and prayed for a permanent home where we could once again gather.
The opportunity arrived in a most unexpected and generous way when the parish was offered the chance to purchase a church building from the Anglican Retirement Village of Selwyn Oaks at Papakura for the remarkable sum of just $1.
The church itself has had a rich and varied history. Originally built in 1896 as the Roman Catholic Church of St Brigidette in Ramarama. The building was gifted to the New Zealand Army in 1942 and re-sited at Ramarama as a Military and Convalescent Hospital, where it provided a place of worship and comfort for military personnel recovering from illness and injury.
During the 1950’s the hospital expanded to serve the general community. When the facility eventually closed the church began another journey and was relocated to Selwyn Oaks where it continued to serve faithfully until the Parish of Kawakawa and Tōwai was given the opportunity to become its next guardian. The building undertook its longest journey of all, travelling over 200 kilometres to its new home in Kawakawa.
Renamed St Thomas, the building was established as the parish church and now serves the Parish of Kawakawa and Tōwai, carrying forward a long tradition of Anglican worship and community service.
St Thomas is the patron saint of architects and builders, so it is a fitting name for an historic building being given a second chance. But it has become far more than a building; it is a place of celebration, comfort, thanksgiving and prayer. Having served generations of worshippers, soldiers, patients, residents and now our congregation, it is testimony to God’s faithfulness and the enduring life of the church. What began as a $1 purchase has proved to be a priceless gift.
Artefacts from St Paul’s Anglican Church, old photographs and news clippings about the fire are on display to the public at the Kawakawa Memorial Library Museum.
The Kawakawa Memorial Library was built by public subscription in 1921 by the people of Kawakawa to remember the fallen of World War One. Today it serves as a museum for Kawakawa and has memorabilia showing the town’s coal-mining history as well as Hundertwasser’s life and works. It is located on Wynyard Street just off the main road in Kawakawa, at the bottom of the staircase pathway from St Thomas’ Church.
