Tawa Corps’ 70 years of service

The world was a very different place in 1954. The Internet wasn’t yet invented. Colour TV hadn’t even come to NZ. But The Salvation Army’s Tawa Corps was going strong. Over the weekend from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September the corps celebrated 70 years of mission and ministry to the community.

The weekend’s theme was God is Good. Celebrations commenced on Friday night with a prayer meeting. Then came a Family Fun Day on Saturday at the corps, organised by children’s ministry coordinator, Catherine Wells.

About 400 people from the Tawa community and beyond attended the Family Fun Day, including many families with children. There was a bouncy castle, sausage sizzle, bake sale, fire truck, outdoor games and cafe, even a performance by magician Nigel Kennedy, who also brought his ice cream truck.

‘It was manic, but fun,’ laughs Major Rochelle Moffatt, corps officer since 2023.

If that wasn’t enough, in the evening was a formal sit-down dinner at the corps, co-ordinated by Denise Conning with MC Steve Farrand. With a theme of Through the Decades, there were about 115 diners. A highlight was the performance by Soul Praise, who re-formed for the event, under the leadership of Phil Hawkey.

A special moment came at the end of the dinner when Mrs Helen Hawkey, a longstanding member of the corps family, cut the anniversary chocolate cake with six-year-old Clara-Rey Wells, who represented the community’s future.

The 70th anniversary weekend concluded with a Sunday service supported by the special guests for the weekend, Territorial Leaders, Commissioners Mark and Julie Campbell. About 150 people were at the service.

Rochelle says the strong attendance at events over the weekend shows how deep the Tawa Corps’ roots are in the community.

‘Definitely we’ll be here for another 70 years,’ she says. ‘The 140th anniversary celebrations are going to be huge!’