In 1960, a fence was built around St Michaels in Brightwater, nearly a century after the construction of the church it surrounds. It reads:
To the glory of God and to the men and women of faith who founded this church, and to those who have served faithfully to maintain that which was founded.
Another six decades later, a young couple visited St Michaels to document its history for a project they’re working on.
I first met Michaela and Allen Carbon earlier this year, and the newlyweds’ passion for life, love for each other and devotion to Jesus was immediately pretty obvious. Allen’s an energetic creative with cheeky banter, while Michaela seems a more gentle, contemplative sort – with an equal amount of wit to rival Allen.
I caught up with the couple to ask them about it.
Michaela: Allen and I have done a lot of road trips together where we would come across usually old rural churches along the way. We would often comment on how beautiful these churches were and occasionally we would even stop on the side of the road to take some photos of them. When we moved to the Nelson Tasman area earlier this year, it felt like there was a new church around every corner and so we decided that we wanted to showcase these beautiful churches to others.
Allen has a background in photography and I have a background in spending hours doing research for my undergrad, so Allen takes care of making everything look pretty and I take care of finding out some information about each church. So far, we haven’t intentionally planned any road trips specifically to photograph churches, but we both have family scattered around New Zealand. Rather than fly to meet family, we opt to drive and give ourselves plenty of time to stop if we see a church or make some small detours. In the summer we are planning a trip to the North Island so that we can get some photos of some North Island churches.
As we are just beginning this project, we are wanting to honour the first churches in our New Zealand history. These tend to be older, more rural churches although as this project grows we are hoping to expand to more modern churches. Being in Nelson, we are quite lucky to have access to some of New Zealand’s earliest churches, as this region had some of our first European settlers. We are hoping to eventually get to every region in New Zealand.
Michaela: I firmly believe that one of the best things you can do for your Christian walk is to go to church. Being in church has helped me when I’ve been struggling in my faith, has pushed me not to become complacent in my faith and has stopped me from living a life that is centred around myself. Part of the reason that I love these little old church buildings is because they are a physical picture of that Christian fellowship. These little buildings are the places where people come together to worship their God, to encourage one another towards Christ and to build one another up.
Allen: We are launching our website soon at churchesof.nz, and people can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. The plan has a few steps and a few dreams. The most important part of the website is to have a Christian catalogue of all the churches, one where the spiritual aspects of our churches are recognised, instead of what it is right now - just a short acknowledgment of the historical importance of some buildings. Once our website becomes more established, we can pursue other dreams of servitude - the dream for us is to be able to use our talents and giftings to support the churches. I have over a decade of marketing and creative experience. My goal has always been to use my hands and creativity to serve the Bride. So, I hope that this creates pathways and opportunities for us to help support the greater family that we love.
The inscription on the fence around St Michaels, paying homage to those who faithfully maintained the church over more than a hundred years, resonates deeply with the essence of Michaela and Allen's project. The Carbons are on a mission to celebrate and preserve the Christian heritage of Aotearoa's historical churches. As the inscription acknowledges the dedication of those who laid the foundation and worked tirelessly to maintain it, Churches of NZ honours the memories, lineage, and sense of belonging fostered within these sacred spaces. It breathes life into forgotten stories and celebrates how these churches were not just beautiful structures but pioneers of community.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
In 1960, a fence was built around St Michaels in Brightwater, nearly a century after the construction of the church it surrounds. It reads:
To the glory of God and to the men and women of faith who founded this church, and to those who have served faithfully to maintain that which was founded.
Another six decades later, a young couple visited St Michaels to document its history for a project they’re working on.
I first met Michaela and Allen Carbon earlier this year, and the newlyweds’ passion for life, love for each other and devotion to Jesus was immediately pretty obvious. Allen’s an energetic creative with cheeky banter, while Michaela seems a more gentle, contemplative sort – with an equal amount of wit to rival Allen.
I caught up with the couple to ask them about it.
Michaela: Allen and I have done a lot of road trips together where we would come across usually old rural churches along the way. We would often comment on how beautiful these churches were and occasionally we would even stop on the side of the road to take some photos of them. When we moved to the Nelson Tasman area earlier this year, it felt like there was a new church around every corner and so we decided that we wanted to showcase these beautiful churches to others.
Allen has a background in photography and I have a background in spending hours doing research for my undergrad, so Allen takes care of making everything look pretty and I take care of finding out some information about each church. So far, we haven’t intentionally planned any road trips specifically to photograph churches, but we both have family scattered around New Zealand. Rather than fly to meet family, we opt to drive and give ourselves plenty of time to stop if we see a church or make some small detours. In the summer we are planning a trip to the North Island so that we can get some photos of some North Island churches.
As we are just beginning this project, we are wanting to honour the first churches in our New Zealand history. These tend to be older, more rural churches although as this project grows we are hoping to expand to more modern churches. Being in Nelson, we are quite lucky to have access to some of New Zealand’s earliest churches, as this region had some of our first European settlers. We are hoping to eventually get to every region in New Zealand.
Michaela: I firmly believe that one of the best things you can do for your Christian walk is to go to church. Being in church has helped me when I’ve been struggling in my faith, has pushed me not to become complacent in my faith and has stopped me from living a life that is centred around myself. Part of the reason that I love these little old church buildings is because they are a physical picture of that Christian fellowship. These little buildings are the places where people come together to worship their God, to encourage one another towards Christ and to build one another up.
Allen: We are launching our website soon at churchesof.nz, and people can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. The plan has a few steps and a few dreams. The most important part of the website is to have a Christian catalogue of all the churches, one where the spiritual aspects of our churches are recognised, instead of what it is right now - just a short acknowledgment of the historical importance of some buildings. Once our website becomes more established, we can pursue other dreams of servitude - the dream for us is to be able to use our talents and giftings to support the churches. I have over a decade of marketing and creative experience. My goal has always been to use my hands and creativity to serve the Bride. So, I hope that this creates pathways and opportunities for us to help support the greater family that we love.
The inscription on the fence around St Michaels, paying homage to those who faithfully maintained the church over more than a hundred years, resonates deeply with the essence of Michaela and Allen's project. The Carbons are on a mission to celebrate and preserve the Christian heritage of Aotearoa's historical churches. As the inscription acknowledges the dedication of those who laid the foundation and worked tirelessly to maintain it, Churches of NZ honours the memories, lineage, and sense of belonging fostered within these sacred spaces. It breathes life into forgotten stories and celebrates how these churches were not just beautiful structures but pioneers of community.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
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