St Tom’s Community Rallies After Floodwaters Sweep Through Newtown

Following torrential rain that battered Wellington on Sunday night, members of St Tom’s Anglican Church, Newtown, arrived for morning prayer on Monday and found signs of flooding throughout the church building.

Some of the clean-up crew at St Tom’s in Newtown.

Floodwaters had entered the chapel, lounge, kitchen and every room of the building, leaving behind mud, soaked flooring and damaged furnishings. Despite the shock of the discovery, morning prayer went ahead as usual.

Soon after prayers concluded, attention turned to what needed to be done. By mid-morning, a steady stream of volunteers arrived armed with mops, buckets, gloves and cleaning supplies, quickly forming an organised clean-up crew. The chapel carpet and two further rooms of carpet, badly damaged by water, were pulled up and loaded onto a trailer for removal, along with other unsalvageable items.

The response highlighted the strength and readiness of the St Tom’s community, according to Reverend Paul Fletcher, who expressed gratitude for those who turned up quickly and generously. He also noted how the church was active in checking in on and supporting parishioners and neighbours impacted by the flooding.

“While our Sunday services are held at Newtown School Hall, the chapel and lounge are busy through the week for daily prayers, youth activities, and gatherings. It’s important we get the space back into a usable and safe condition as soon as possible.”

As the clean-up progressed, the flooding also prompted reflection on the broader causes behind increasingly severe weather events.

“Storms like this are another reminder of the changing climate and our responsibility to adapt and live more consciously of our impact on it,” Paul said.

“These issues are not abstract for us; Wellingtonians dramatically felt it with this latest weather event.”

He noted that Common Grace Aotearoa is currently preparing new resources around climate justice and faithful responses to care for the land, areas the St Tom’s community has long been passionate about.

“It feels very relevant to us in this moment,” he said.

As drying, cleaning and repairs continue, the events of the week have served as both a practical challenge and a theological reminder of resilience, shared responsibility, and the call to care for creation and one another.

Find out more about Common Grace Aotearoa and the Thriving in this Land resource online.