Christchurch Anglicans were forced to hold their Christmas services outdoors as yet more earthquakes rocked the city on 23 December, causing even more damage to the cathedral and, among other casualties, spelling the death knell for Bishop Victoria Matthews’ home.
The quake came only a few weeks after the Dean of Christchurch Cathedral, the Very Revd Peter Beck, announced he was resigning to seek election to the city council, amid media reports of a rift between him and Bishop Matthews, and only days before the Church’s insurer, ANSVAR, withdrew from New Zealand.
On Christmas Eve, the Bishop announced: “Because there isn’t the time to have every church checked and cleared by engineers before Christmas services begin, we have decided to ask the Anglican churches of greater Christchurch to hold their services outdoors, ‘where sheep may safely graze’.
“Late services on the 24th will be BYOT or ‘bring your own torch’. One parish has said that they’ll have carols by candlelight (or rather, carols by torchlight because candles and quakes don’t go well together) and a simple celebration of the Eucharist.
“We just don’t want large numbers of people – including the very young, the elderly and infirm – in close-confined quarters in the event of another 5.5 or 6. Gathering outdoors, away from tall buildings, will allow for community but not crowding.
“I know that isn’t what most of us expected. But the first Christmas was very messy too – and the outcome from that extraordinary gathering was life saving.
“Who knows? Maybe this Christmas some people who would not otherwise darken the door of a church will hear the music and join the throng.
“The one thing we do know – with certainty – is that Jesus will be present with us.”
Dean Beck said the 23 December quake had caused some areas of the cathedral, which was deconsecrated on 9 November, to deteriorate “significantly” and were the source of mortar dust seen by many witnesses. No workers were on site at the time.
“Assessments will be required to ascertain the exact extent and potential consequences of additional damage,” he said. “The Cathedral will continue to be cordoned off whilst these assessments take place over the coming days and weeks.
“As we have stated throughout, our first priority is the safety of people and that remains our focus.”
Earlier in December, reports in Christchurch’s daily newspaper, The Press, said Dean Beck’s position has been made “untenable” by Bishop Matthews over the future of the cathedral and quoted prominent members of the congregation in support of the Dean.
On 9 December, the paper reported that Dean Beck would not elaborate but acknowledged that “there have been differences between me and the bishop, but they are between me and the bishop”.
“We live in very difficult times and people have different opinions. Frankly, it has been tough for everyone in the last six months,” he said.
Four days later, Bishop Matthews was quoted as denying any rift, saying her relationship with the Dean was very good.
“There has not been a major falling-out,” she said. “That is a false representation. We are both looking at what is best for the cathedral. I don’t see that our relationship has changed.”
In a letter to his cathedral congregation on 8 December, Dean Beck wrote: “It is time to pass the baton on to a new dean to lead the next phase in the project to build a new and wonderful cathedral, which will honour our heritage and build for the future.
“Gay and I will not be disappearing from Christchurch. We love living here and are committed to continuing to play our part in the recovery of the city. So I will be standing as an independent candidate in the forthcoming by-election in the Burwood-Pegasus ward of the City Council. If the electors are willing, I’d really like to continue to serve them and the wider city community as a city councillor.
“This has not been an easy decision for me to make, but it is a prayer-filled one and one that I know to be the right one.”
On 24 November, Ansvar Insurance Ltd (NZ), which insured 75 per cent of churches in NZ, announced that it was quitting the country and that its policies would be cancelled at the end of 2011, regardless of whether those policies had time to run. Ansvar, which faced $NZ700 million in claims from the Christchurch quakes, had announced in September that it would no longer renew earthquake cover when existing policies expired.
The Chairman of the Anglican Insurance Board, Mr Don Baskerville, described the announcement as “most inconvenient”. Mr Baskerville said Ansvar Australia would partially fill the gap, though not for earthquake damage.
Ansvar (NZ) said it would cease providing insurance cover in NZ and undertake a managed exit from the market as a result of the “prohibitive cost of reinsurance” following the devastating series of earthquakes in the Canterbury region, which includes Christchurch, in 2010 and 2011.
“All customers will be provided with an opportunity to take up temporary cover, excluding earthquake (natural disasters) cover, from Ansvar Australia,” an Ansvar (NZ) statement said on 24 November. “This will also be effective from 31 December. This is intended as an interim measure to provide customers with sufficient time to find alternative insurance.”
Ansvar’s Chief Executive, Mr Andrew Moon, said: “We greatly regret having to make this decision. We are very aware that this will be stressful news for our customers – in particular those in Canterbury.”