New Chapter for Wairarapa
On Saturday 9 November 2024, the new Wairarapa Corps (church) building located at 132 Ngaumutawa Road, Masterton, was formally opened by Territorial Leaders Commissioners Julie and Mark Campbell.
On the following day, a celebration service was held in the beautiful new worship space.
The new Wairarapa Corps’ name designation brings together the former Carterton Corps and Masterton Corps Plant under one Salvation Army umbrella.
‘We were in limbo for a little while with the name, but now we are settled as Wairarapa Corps, which covers and includes everyone and all the work in the region,’ says Major Margaret Ousey, pastoral support officer/leadership team.
The opening of the new purpose-built facility represents a brand-new chapter in the life of The Salvation Army at what was the original site of the Cecilia Whatman Children’s Home, which closed in the mid-1980s.
Margaret explains that Salvation Army mission was revived in 2008 by Cadet-Lieutenants Kylie and Stuart Tong, who were appointed to lead a new expression in the area, known as the Masterton Corps Plant. The couple started a kids’ club, and the work grew from there.
‘It’s been a long journey,’ says Margaret, ‘and we have learnt a lot. Everyone is now very happy to be settled into this new place of worship and we are looking forward to the challenge of expanding the outreach into the community and establishing new programmes.’
With freshly commissioned officers, Lieutenants Ashton and Nikola Vaitaki, taking up leadership responsibility for the Wairarapa Corps from January, there is much to be excited about.
‘Corps folk are excited about the opportunities ahead and there are lots of thoughts and ideas about what could be done to grow the work here. People are excited about the future, which is wonderful,’ affirms Margaret.
Some corps programmes still run out of the Carterton premises, including groups for seniors, a playgroup for preschoolers, a craft group and the recently introduced and successful after-school initiative—Kids in the Kitchen—which teaches children cooking skills.
