Christ Church, Pukehou, built in 1859 by the founder of Te Aute School, Archdeacon Samuel Williams, is the oldest church in Hawke's Bay.

Samuel Williams was born in England in 1822. Soon after he was born his parents, the Anglican clergyman, Henry Williams, and Marianne Coldham, left to become missionaries in New Zealand. Samuel spent most of his childhood in Paihia and Waimate. At the age of 17 he became a teacher at the Anglican missionary school of St John's, Auckland. He was ordained as a deacon in September 1846. In the same year married his cousin Mary Williams, the daughter of William and Jane Williams. In the following year the couple were assigned to Otaki to help the mission established by Octavius Hadfield. Here Samuel organised a system of Maori schools and supervised the building of Rangiatea. In about 1853, at the request of Governor Sir George Grey, Samuel and his family moved to the Hawke's Bay to set up a school at Te Aute. This school had been established by an agreement between the Ngati Te Whatu-i-apiti leader, Te Hapuku (?-1878), and a number of Maori from the Heretaunga region with Grey. Its establishment led to the Crown acquiring large portions of the Hawke's Bay. Samuel opened the school in 1854 with 12 pupils.

In 1859 Samuel built Christ Church at Pukehou, not far from the school at Te Aute. The church was built in an elegant Gothic Revival style - a style popular with the Anglican Church. It was constructed of native timber (totara) and a roof of totara shingles. It is believed that the oaks outside the church were planted at about the same time the church was built. The church was for both Maori and Pakeha. In that same year a disastrous fire, combined with a change in the government Maori schooling policy, forced Samuel to close the school. Christ Church continued to serve the surrounding community. The first recorded wedding in the church register was in December 1860 when John Davies Ormond (1831?-1917), runholder, politician, and, later, Provincial Superintendent of Hawke's Bay, married Hannah Richardson. In 1872 Samuel re-established the school. Te Aute College used the church at Pukehou until a college chapel was built in 1901. In the meantime the church was extended to accommodate larger congregations. In 1881 a chancel was added. In 1893 the transepts were added and the chancel extended. The vestry was also moved to where it is currently situated. Samuel died in 1907, and both he and his wife (d.1900) are buried not far from Pukehou.

Christ Church remained part of the Waiapu Diocese until 1912, at which time it became part of the newly formed Otane Parish. Over the years the church gained a number of chattels, most importantly the stain glass windows by John Bonor and Karl Parsons, renowned Arts and Crafts artist. In 1983 the Otane Parish was divided and Christ Church once again became part of the Waiapu Diocese. At this time Christ Church was closed for regular services. Since 1983 Christ Church has been run by a committee. This committee maintains the church and allows it to be used for occasional services, weddings, and concerts. In 2001/2002 a complete restoration was undertaken with the help of the Lotteries Commission and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Christ Church, Pukehou, is significant as the oldest church in the Waiapu Diocese and Hawke's Bay province. It is associated with Archdeacon Samuel Williams, a notable missionary, and J. D. Ormond. For many years, it was the centre of religious life at Te Aute College. The church has considerable architectural merit as an elegant example of Gothic Revival architecture, enhanced by the two principal stained glass windows. It is a significant picturesque landmark on State Highway 2.