Twenty descendants of beloved missionary and Church leader, Matthew Cowley, arrived this week in New Zealand to see the Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre named in honour of their ancestor. For many it was their first time in this land so loved by him.
The Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre is the first history centre of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Pacific. It is located within the newly refurbished and expanded, historic Wendell B. Mendenhall Library on the former campus of the Church College of New Zealand (CCNZ).
On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, family members visited Tauranga where, by a traditional Powhiri, they were welcomed onto Huria Marae and then walked to nearby Matiu Kauri Grove, a lovely park named in honour of Elder Cowley. It was here that, as a young missionary, he often came to ponder, pray, read the scriptures and learn the Maori language.
There, for the first time, family members saw the monument honouring their ancestor.
Later in the week family members toured the new facilities in Temple View (a suburb of Hamilton), including the Kai Hall, a popular gathering place for students of CCNZ; the home where George R. Biesinger, the first CCNZ construction supervisor, and his family lived; the new David O. McKay Stake and Cultural Events Centre; and Legacy Park, a large park honouring the labour missionaries who constructed CCNZ and the Hamilton Temple.
On Friday evening family members and over 1,000 others attended a cultural celebration honouring the past and looking forward to the future of Temple View. Saturday, June 17, the family joined over 1,500 others at the dedication of the new Temple View facilities.
The new facilities are all located in the shadow of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple on the former site of the CCNZ. Constructed to enhance and preserve the temple’s surroundings, the new facilities are the first phase of an overall development that is planned to include building lots for many new homes.