Our Priest Assistant -

My name is James McGrath and I was born in Timaru on the 22 September 1953. I was baptised four days later as I was not expected to live much longer.

Two and a half months later I was received into the congregation of St Peter’s Kensington/Otipua where I was to remain for the next sixteen years going through the motions as a choir boy and then as a server at the altar and even going through confirmation.

Through all this time I never established a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and because of this I eventually drifted away as the world of excitement beckoned.

During this time I became an engineer working for Timaru City Council and experiencing a stint as an army territorial soldier. While working in Timaru I met I’va (Eva) and we were married in Auckland in 1977.

In 1979 we moved to Invercargill where I had a job with Southland County Council where our Son Philip was born. Through this time I had no connection with church of any kind although I had let my wife believe I had.

In 1984 in a dilapidated old timber church in Clifton at a funeral God finally caught up with me and I experienced the risen Christ within a small elderly congregation. The following year our curate approached me and “suggested” that I should train as a lay minister as the new vicar was keen on developing a lay-ministry team.

Since that time I have experienced a child leaving home and the death of my wife in 2008. To everyone’s surprise, including my own, I proposed to and was accepted by Barbara Harris and we were married in 2013 and together we embarked on this new journey as a priest assistant at St John’s.

So through many trials, sadness and joys God has been shaping me into the person I am today.

Our Churchwardens -

The Parish has three Church Wardens who are appointed each year by the parishioners at the Annual General Meeting.
Our combined Parish has the following  Wardens:

Warden from St Johns     Mrs Dot Muir                           (03) 213 0474
Warden from St Lukes     Ms Lynda Turner-Heaton (03) 213 0757
Warden from St Johns     Mr. Rod Jordan                        (03) 216 8454

Administration -

The Parish administrator is located at the St John's Church Office and is available between the hours of  8.00am - noon on Thursday. For information about Parish events, to get items published in The Eagle or to enquire about church bookings for weddings or other services please contact:

Karen Jones                                                                 (03) 214 3135


Please leave a message after hours and we will get back to you as soon as we are able, alternatively feel free to use the contact form for a more prompt response.