Over Labour Weekend 2024, the Durham Street Methodist Church (also known as Christchurch Central Methodist Parish) celebrated its 160th Anniversary.

Along with fellowship, reunion and rejoicing, this special occasion served as a powerful reminder of the parish's commitment to social justice, to supporting the marginalised, to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to developing a curious and inclusive community deepening faith in action.

The iconic Aldersgate Centre opened in February 2020. The original building erected in 1864 and tragically destroyed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was the first stone church completed on the Canterbury Plains.

More than a year before the celebrations, work had begun recording an updated history of the parish since the time of the last publication at the 125th Anniversary in 1989. The new book entitled Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors, edited by Wallace Woodley, contains chapters covering the successive presbyteral periods, the story of the devastating earthquake, the rebuild years, the music story and the individual groups associated with parish life.

The publication was launched at the Saturday evening celebration dinner attended by sixty guests, some of whom had travelled from the North Island. Additional greetings from previous presbyters and members unable to be present were shared with the assembly. Entertainment included a vocal solo presented by Malcolm Palmer (baritone), accompanied by pianist Wallace Woodley, and video clips of ballet dancer, Tasman Davids, recorded during his decade of study and solo stage performances in Russia as the first ever New Zealander to be granted such an honour.

A Service of Thanksgiving on Sunday morning was led by the present  presbyter, Rev Philomeno Kinera, with guest preacher, Rev Peter Taylor, then current President of the Methodist Church of New Zealand / Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa.

A well-rehearsed augmented choir of 18 singers, comprising present and past parishioners and four members of nearby Knox (Presbyterian Church) Singers, presented several anthems and led the congregational hymn-singing. The choir was supported by a guest baritone vocalist, Alex Robinson, and parish instrumentalists on organ, piano, flutes, oboe, clarinet and guitars under the musical direction of Wallace Woodley.

Included in liturgical elements were music compositions, hymn texts and a prayer written by present and former presbyters and parishioners; and the church family recognised the historical selfless service and dedication of Property Steward, David Peach, in the award of a Certificate of Achievement presented by Rev Peter Taylor.

After an informal luncheon, a Festival of Music included items from the augmented choir, soloist Alex Robinson, clarinettist Barbara Peddie, student pianist Minori Naoi, and Trio des Aquarelles (a prize-winning chamber ensemble from Burnside High School). The programme of music represented composers drawn from the past 200 years to the present day.

A Heritage Table displayed historical artefacts such as church choir recordings, previous history books, printed orders of service for significant occasions, and an article detailing the ancient Māori land story of the Aldersgate site. Also on show was a collage created by the church family children depicting sky, mountains, trees, birds and a beach foreshore. It was made during the wintertime series of lessons on the traditional Māori myth, 'Rekindling the Vā of Papatūānuku'.