One of the many architectural casualties of the Christchurch earthquakes was Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, one of the older churches in the city.

OTBC has long been an investor in Christian Savings, and now it’s their turn to be a borrower.

In conversation with Christian Savings CEO James Palmer and Senior Lender John Smeaton, OTBC has made an ambitious plan for its rebuild.

The church is currently building a large, multi-purpose complex that will include everything it needs for its own church community—auditorium, meeting rooms, offices, chapel, kitchen, and so on—but also a large contribution to the wider community, in the form of office space for NGOs and social enterprises, mixed-use accommodation units, and a café. This also means they will have an income stream that is independent of the wealth—or otherwise—of their parishioners.

Christian Savings has been instrumental in making this far-reaching project possible, bringing to the table a good understanding of what churches are all about, trust in their donation-based income, and an eye on what’s best for the Kingdom of God. OTBC has therefore been able to combine all their plans into one large project, rather than fundraising individually for each one, and taking much longer to complete them.

Church manager Bradley Nicolson appreciates knowing that the margin Christian Savings makes from the loan will help them fund other churches and charities. He suggests that any church looking at a building project should ‘think big’ and talk to Christian Savings, saying, ‘It’s better to build a $2 million building that can generate income in the long-term than build a $1 million building that isn’t producing income streams.’

Senior Pastor Chris Chamberlain says, ‘We are trying real hard to be good stewards. The church has inherited a massive asset, coupled with the post-earthquake opportunity, which has given us a chance to create a project that ticks many boxes: income generation, social enterprise in helping some Christian NGOs by offering them tenancies, social justice in the 50 bedrooms of housing we are building, and probably the biggest one for me, legacy generation.

‘We are building for a future. Not just a box for Sunday, but a project that will bless those coming along after us, whatever that future church looks and acts like. ‘We couldn’t do it without the family financier.’

Oxford Terrace Baptist Church Website: otbc.org.nz

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