Constructed in 1907 in St John Street, Opotiki, St John's Church reflects the growth and development of the Presbyterian population in the township. In 1872, several years after the Opotiki township was first surveyed by John Gwynneth, the then Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Donald McLean (1820-1877), sent Presbyterian minister Reverend Martin to open a school in the area. Martin held the first religious services for the town's Presbyterian population in the Masonic Hotel. He also held services for Church of England on alternate Sundays. After two years, Martin resigned and was replaced by a Presbyterian minister from Scotland, Reverend Alexander Soutar. Prior to his appointment, Soutar worked for the Church of England in New Zealand. His services in Opotiki were conducted according to the order of the Church of England. On 22 June 1877 it was concluded at a meeting of Presbyterians of the township that a Presbyterian church should be established, and a minister of Presbyterian denomination be obtained. This resolution resulted in an invitation to the Reverend John Gow, who had relocated to Opotiki for health reasons, to become the new minister. Gow was officially appointed on 22 September 1878, and for five years he conducted Presbyterian services in the Town Hall. Under Gow, efforts to construct a purpose-built Presbyterian church in Opotiki commenced. In 1880, Trustees were appointed to manage Section 2, Allotment 23 on the survey plan of 1860, which had been set aside for a church. In 1883 a church building was constructed on the site by Thomas Abbot for £270. Although the church provided seating for 105 people, by 1890 the Presbyterian population had increased, necessitating the construction of an addition that would accommodate a further 40 persons. Two years later, Gow retired, having devoted 14 years to the betterment of the Presbyterian church in Opotiki. His successor was installed in a newly built manse five months later, and the congregation continued to grow. By 1905, the first Presbyterian church was too small to accommodate it. Two years later the original church was converted into a Sunday School, and a new, larger church was constructed on the site. The new building was designed by the noted Waikato and - by this time - Opotiki-based architect Thomas Henry White (1843-1923), and constructed by Messrs Ross & Purcell at the cost of £666.0.0. The church, named St John's Presbyterian Church, was a commanding timber structure, whose appearance was similar to a Unitarian Church that White had previously designed in Ponsonby Road, Auckland in 1901 (NZHPT Registration # 7178, Category 1 historic place). In 1946, three stained glass windows were inserted above the altar in memory of the parishioners who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars. The church is still in use by the Opotiki faithful and retains many elements of its original design. In 1972, the Presbyterian Parish amalgamated with the Methodist Parish. To symbolise this union the church was renamed 'St Johns Union Church'. The main changes to the original building occurred four years later in 1976. These consisted of alterations to the porch area, including the removal of decorative elements around the gable, and the addition of seating at the rear of the nave. The church reaches its centenary in 2007, and remains an important religious centre in the Opotiki district.