ST ANDREW'S CHURCH

Church Services were held in the home of Mr Thomas Russell in Scotsman's Valley during the early 1880's. When the School opened in 1884 services were held there, being taken in turn by Presbyterians and Anglicans mainly. One lay preacher was Mr Thomas Shaw, and another who drove out in a gig monthly from Cambridge was Mr F. J. Brooks. From 1875-1905 Mr Brooks was Manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Cambridge and on retiring from that position became Town Clerk of Cambridge until 1920. He was the grandfather of Mrs Margaret Davison and great­ grandfather of Hugh Davison and Mrs Celia Connolly. Mr Edwin (Ted) P. Griffin was also a lay preacher prior to leaving Tauwhare in 1921.
Because several large families were of Presbyterian origins, especially the Ramsay and Shaw families, it was natural that steps would be taken to build a Presbyterian Church in Tauwhare. In July 1915 at a meeting of the Deacon's Court held in Trinity Church, Cambridge, it was decided to build a Church in Tauwhare. Mr Andrew Ramsay senior, who farmed around the village, offered half an acre of land plus Fifty pounds to start the project. Mr Ramsay and Mr Thomas Shaw then called a meeting of local residents to gauge public support for the proposal. Agreement to proceed was the result and fund-raising began. It took a year to collect the Three hundred pounds required, but at last in February 1916 building commenced and the Church was opened for worship on the 20th July 1916.
Mr Ramsay sold his farm in 1917 to Wilfred Adlington, but Mr Shaw, known affectionately as Uncle Tommy, continued to serve St. Andrews as an elder until nearing his 80th birthday. He often delivered the communion cards on foot in his younger days. When he died in 1943 at the age of 82, grateful parishioners placed a plaque in his memory in the Church.
The first Minister was the Rev. A. F. Burchell who rode on horseback from Cambridge to take services at Tauwhare. His salary in 1916 was One hundred and sixty five pounds per year. This dropped to One hundred and fifty five pounds during a slump in the 1920's. Prior to 1922 Tauwhare, Matangi, Tamahere, Eureka, Newstead and Kaipaki were all outstations of Cambridge. In 1922 the Rev. Wilson was stationed in Matangi and served the five first-mentioned districts from there. Sunday School and Bible Classes began about the same time, being taught by dedicated local people over the years. Miss Lucy Ringer has given 40 years service to the Sunday School and Mrs Shirley Jamieson is a long-serving Bible Class leader.
Horseback, push bike, motor-bike, horse and gig, followed in 1928 by a Chevrolet car costing One hundred pounds, were the means by which a succession of ministers travelled around the scattered parish. Texaco motor spirit, which in early days came in a wooden case holding two cans of four gallons each, cost Four pounds eight shillings and nine pence for three months supply. In those days the church owned and maintained the minister's car instead of paying him a mileage allowance.
In 1925 services began to be held weekly instead of monthly as had been the case for many years. Perhaps in compensation, the minister's stipend was raised to Two hundred pounds per annum in 1926. In 1929 the status of the Church was raised from that of a Home Mission Charge to supply and appointment. This was the result of much growth during the previous two years. In 1931 a well-attended weekday service was held once a week in a private home in the valley - where is uncertain.
The envelope system of regular giving to the Church was introduced in 1933. Rev. David Hay departed in 1934 after ten years service. His place was taken by the Rev. A. L. Dixon. In 1938 the minister's stipend was raised to Three hundred pounds. On the 20th July 1941 a special Commemoration Service and Social were held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of St. Andrew's Church.
Mr J. M. Sattrup, a church elder for 25 years sought agreement to provide a Sunday School room. This was agreed to in 1952, and the vestry was built by Mr Sattrup and local Committee men.
Extension of parish boundaries took place in 1964. The Waikato East Parish was reconstituted as the Hillcrest Presbyterian Parish on the 1st July. Land was purchased on the corner of Morrinsville Road and Berkley Avenue and a Manse and Church Hall were built. The Rev. A. Wilde had retired in 1963 after nine years of dedicated service and the Rev. R. Smith became the first minister of the re-formed parish. He conducted services at Tauwhare fortnightly. On the 20th July 1966 the Church had a special service to celebrate 50 years of existence. During those years ministers had been the Revs. Burchell, Bailey, Wilson, Martin, Read, French, Nottage, McDonald, Chambers, Wilde, Smith, Oliffe. Elders of St. Andrew's Church have been Messrs Andrew Ramsay, Thomas Shaw, J. M. Sattrup, Ron Shaw, James Hunter and James Craig.
Church union had been discussed by the Managers as early as 1942 but came to nought. The Co-operating Parish of St. Francis, Hillcrest came into being on the 29th May 1977, the Anglican,  Methodist  and Presbyterian congregations being involved. Clergy at that time were Archdeacon Hogg (Anglican), Rev. W. J. Morrison (Methodist) and Rev. L. Oliffe (Presbyterian). Since that date Rev. Morrison has retired. Now Canon A. W. Sutton (Anglican), Rev. D. Glenny (Presbyterian) and Rev. G. A. Telford (Methodist) serve the community.
No mention of the religious life of the community would be complete without noting all the work done by the ladies. We learn that in 1927 they raised Fifty pounds and paid it into general funds. In 1930 they held a Garden Party in the School grounds, when a profit of Twenty three pounds five shillings and ten pence was made.
On the 20th September 1944 a group of women met to form a Guild, Mrs E. Rallison being elected President, Mrs J. M. Sattrup Vice-President, with Mrs A. C. Lovelock Secretary.  The aim was "to improve the Church grounds and do renovations to the Church as needed". Work started immediately on tidying up the grounds and the possible laying out of a croquet lawn was discussed. The two cypress trees were planted in 1945, donated by Mr A. C. Lovelock.
Meanwhile members organised fund raising activities with such energy that in 1952 the Guild offered to pay for a front porch to be built on to the Church. 1955 saw a sink bench, cupboards and power point installed in the vestry, and water was laid on. The next year· repovations and painting to brighten the interior of the Church were undertaken. The old organ was sold for Ten pounds and was replaced by a re-conditioned one costing Fifty one pounds.
In November 1956 members unanimously agreed "that the time has come for the erection of a Sunday School building as the roll stands at 67, the number of pre-school children in the district is considerable and the teachers work under great difficulties in very cramped conditions. Permission for a district collection to start a fund be sought from the Board of Managers".  The house to house collection in 1957 yielded Five hundred and twenty six pounds and with renewed vigour Guild members organised jumble sales of used clothing, social evenings, concerts, waste paper collections and a district bobby calf drive - any form of entertainment to raise funds. With sympathetic support from the Tauwhare community and the tireless leadership of the then President, Mrs Rose McMillan, the years of effort came to a successful conclusion, when on the 2nd December 1961 Rev. A. Wilde performed the opening ceremony of the Sunday School. The total cost was Three thousand and twenty nine pounds. The Guild raised Two thousand three hundred and forty pounds. Waikato East General Fund contributed One hundred and eighty nine pounds for the porch between the two buildings, leaving a Five hundred pound loan at 2% still to be repaid. By 1966 the remaining debt was settled and the Board of Managers wrote congratulating the Guild "for their dedication and steadfastness".
With the challenge of the building programme completed, Guild decided that the Sunday School and Church should still be their chief concern. Trading tables at monthly meetings and well-stocked stalls at various district functions provide funds for Sunday School expenses, prizes and lawn mowing. New carpet and vinyl have been purchased for the Church during recent years, and painting and repairs to the Sunday School building paid for.
The Guild can look back over a period of forty years of Christian fellowship and the faithfully following of those original aims decided at that first meeting in 1944.
Presidents: Mrs E. Rallison 1944-49, Mrs A. Lovelock 1949-51, Mrs M. Fell 1951-53, Mrs G. Fawcett 1953-56, Mrs R. McMillan 1956-60, Mrs M. McDonald 1960-61, Mrs R. McMillan 1961-64, Mrs N. Clark 1964-69, Mrs K. O'Neill 1969-77, Mrs M. Davison 1977-82, Mrs M. Sattrup 1982-84.