newtown mission

8/2/2019 Newtown Mission

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Aphoto ofNewtownMission'sChapel takenin the 1960's.architectural beauty.

The first minister appointed to the church was theRev Benjamin Chapman. In the tradition ofJohnWesley, the founder of Methodism, Sydney's NewtownMethodists were famous for their community services.Alongside the regular Sunday Services, the earlyNewtown Methodists were responsible for the runningof a Wesleyan Day School, a Sunday School, a homenursing service, and food and clothing relief. Over theyears these services have adapted to meet the needsof a changing community. While many things haveprogressed since 1860, the same spirit that inspired the

early Methodists continues to inspire the people of Godwho meet at Newtown Mission today.

Today the women wear jeans or casual dresses, andthe men are dressed in t-shirts,jeans, and jumpers.Thechurch carries on the tradition of providing meals andcompassionate care for the needy. Volunteers are sentout from the church to many parts of the world, servingthe communities in which they work. Today we honourand cherish the memory of the people who formed thehistory of this church, and we celebrate 150 years of thecurrent church building.

Jurv 1860 - Tur OpENING oF Ktxc SrnrET CHAPELLadies in bonnets, brimmed hats and long dresses holdonto the hands of little girls in frilly frocks, and littleboys in grey jackets and long trousers. The men aredressed in their Sunday best suits, complete with tophats and long coats. There is joy and excitement inthe air as they move towards the opening of the newchurch on Newtown Road (later called King Street,7877). Some have travelled by train from the newlyopened Newtown train station, which was then locatedat Station Street (1855). Others have arrived by horsecarriage, or on horse carts. Many have just walked fromtheir homes in the new suburb of Newtown.

The Sydney Morning Herald, of 21stJuly 1860,described the chapel as "combining thorough suitabilityas a Wesleyan place of worship with considerable


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L84Ol The history of Newtown Mission began in1840, with a small group of families gathering intwo brick cottages on the corner of Eliza and Kingstreet. The services were heid in a room 30 x 12 {eetwhich was formed by knocking down the dividingwall between the two houses.

L844: The Sunday School, founded byMrJohnJones, originally met in May street, St Peters.The school was conducted by devoted members ofthe church congregation but later grew to comprisenumerous staff and many students.

L848-1851: In response to the growing natureof the church, a portion of land (51 x 100 ft.)was purchased in 1848 on the corner of Kingand Erskineville Roads. A small brick chapel,housing 500 people, was opened in May 1850.The land was later enlarged and a school hall andteacher's residence were erected in 1851. lnlB49Mr Dunlop became the master of the NewtownWesleyan Day School and the Sunday School.

1855I The church employed several local preachersas well as a Minister. In 1855, the same yeat thatthe first section of Sydney's railway opened andthe gold rush began, Newtown formed its ownpreaching circuit, which included Glebe, Stanmore,Ashfield, Canterbury, Botany, Camperdown,Peakhurst, Tempe, Rockdale and Burwood.RevJoseph Oram commented that it was a "hardcircuit for one man".

1859I Due to tremendous growth in thecongregation, the decision was made to build a newchapel. Land directly adjacent to the old chapeland school hall was purchased for a sum of 1,050pounds. The foundation stone was laid by the Hon.George Allen on 30th Sept 1B59.The building,an excellent example ofWesleyan Methodistarchitecture, was designed by George AllenMansfield and constructed byThomas Abbott.The total cost of the building was 6,750 pounds.

18 6 O I The opening services for the new church wereheld inJuly &August 1860. After the opening ofthe new chapel, the old church was used as a schoolhouse, and the old school building (in between thetwo church buildings) was demolished, to leaveroom for a playground for the children.

L864: Upstairs gaileries were installed in the newchapel, to improve the acoustics. However thegalleries were not furnished for use untll L892,with pews from the Centenary Hall, in Newtown.

T877 -7 8t The new pipe organ was commissionedfrom J.W Hill and Son, of London and installedby Charles James Jackson. The visible part of theorgan was displayed in a large archway, with themajority of the pipes housed in a separate chamberadded in 1905. In 1910 the organ was significantlyupgraded and the playing action was converted toa pneumatic action. The pipes were decorated byMr R. R. Christian who gave his valuable servicesas a love gift to the church. Sadly, the organ is notfunctional today.

1882I The beautiful stained glass windows at the eastend of the church were installed in memory of MrsJane Conley, one ofthe organists ofthe church andMr William Tye, both of whom played importantroles in the life of the church.1890-91: A .,.* school hall with classrooms andcaretaker residences was constructed alongsidethe main chapel on King Street. The old churchon the corner of King and Erskineville Roads wasdemolished to make way for the new school, andthe remaining vaiant land was sold to Mr Cannon.

19O2t St. Peter's Tempe church united withNewtown Methodist Church.

1971-7912: 1_50 person choirwas a regularfeature at church services, led by the choir masterand organist Mr W. Pogson. The choir won theEisteddfod Church Choir first prize tvvo yearsrunning from 7971,-1,9L2.


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l9l4-L918: Dr,ri.,g World War I, 108 membersof the congregation served in the war.

L9L6t The increased noise from traffic on KingStreet, and the heat during the summer monthsmade the front classrooms in the school hallunusable. With the additional advantage ofproviding income, the front of the school wasmodified to include several shops. In addition, theland on the corner of King and Erskineville roadswas re-purchased and three shops with residencesabove were constructed. Electricity was connectedto the church, replacing candles and gas lamps.

L921:The church employed several sisters to help withthe social work in the church. Sister Ruth Hurtdid splendid work in the schools and amongst thewomen of the mission from 1921to 7938.

79231 The chapel was renovated and redecorated,with a re-opening ceremony performed by theGovernor of the State, Sir Walter Davidson.

1924: Rev A.W. Walker was instrumental in leadingthe social welfare enterprises of the church. Duringhis appointment the church became a mission, andthe care for the needy was specifically addressed.

1928! The church was specifically designated aMission church. The Depression of the 1930'ssaw much unemployment, and families were beingevicted, as they were unable to pay rent. Newtownhad become working class and the gentry hadmoved to the surrounding suburbs.

L94Ol Extensive renovations to the church andschool buildings.

L9 39 -19 531 Superintendent Rev SamuelMcKibben led a ministry which was describedas 'masculine Christianity in actiori. He eventhreatened to knock out a bailiffwho tried to evictone of his congregation. During the 40's and 50's,the church was a hub of social activities for thecommunity. A member of the congregation at thetime, Mr Bruce Neville Meller remembers the

school hall was used as a gymnasium, scouts andguides meeting place and a youth club. The churchhall was in use every day of the week.

19461 The Newtown Methodist Nursing Servicebegan with 10 nurses and was ultimately supersededby the Sydney District Nursing Service.

196O'Sl During the ministry of Rev LenThompson, the church continued its support of theneedy in the community. Girls and boys hostelswere established to provide accommodation forstudents, nursing for the elderly continued andfood parceis were always available for those inneed. A highlight each year was the HarvestTime Festival. A devoted member of the church,Mr Smart would donate the entire produce fromone acre of his farm at Camden.This was thendistributed to the needy in the community. Thechurch sponsored an annual spring fair and thehall was transformed into a social venue for indoorbowls. Two choirs met during the week, and onSunday mornings, a children's choir would singduring services. fhe church was certainly a centreof activity for members of the communityl

L977: The Presbyterian and Congregational churchunited with the Methodist church to form theUniting Church. Newtown Methodist Churchbecame Newtown Mission Uniting Church.I-rAfE 197 O' Sl A group of CharismaticCatholics met in the church hal1. Along with theministry of Rev Don Drury, this paved the way forthe charismatic revival of the late BO's and early 90's.1988- 199O'Sl Under the ministry of RevRon Brookman, the church gained a reputationas a charismatic place of worship. The gates andpews were removed to provide easier access tothe church and more freedom in worship. Pastorspreached from the same level as the congregationinstead of from a pulpit. This informal natureof worship has continued to this day with thecongregation being actively involved in the service.


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fhe church was characterized by a strongevangelistic focus, emphasis on counseling,rehabilitation, prison ministry, welfare, healingand education. "Messiah College"was founded byPastor Con Stamos and provided students with astrong foundation in biblical discipleship.

2OOO-2OO2I Senior Pastor Rob Nance saw theneed for major renovations to the church. Under thesupervision of Alan Gravolin, Ron Lodewijks andhis team worked tirelessly on restoring the church.

2OO1: Kon Parris was inspired to paint theRevelation ceiling. A fund was established tocover the cost of materials and Kon generouslydonated his time, inspired by his grand vision andencouraged by Rev Nance, family and friends.

2OO2l In August a rededication service celebratedthe completed restoration of the church. This was ajoyous occasion charactenzed by thanksgiving andrenewed vision for the future of the church.2002-2006l During the ministry of Rev PhilMarshall the Cornerstone Caf6 was established,featuring live music and a resident band everysecond Saturday night. The Employment lnitiativeprogram helped provide skills and confidence forpeople preparing to enter the work force. And theTongan worship service was established.It eventuallymoved to Tempe, with a joint worship service held inNewtown on the first Sunday of the month.2006-2008 I The Newtown Community ArtExhibition (NCA) provided an opportunity forlocal artists to showcase their talent and formconnections with other creative people.

2OO8l The Revelation Ceiling by Kon Parris openedon August 30. Featuring 20 panels depictingthe book of Revelation, the artwork is one ofthe largest ceiling paintings in the SouthernHemisphere. Amanda Hallihan organises toursand events that feature the Revelation Ceiling.

2OO7 -2010I Senior Pastor Doug Clements andhis wife Helen were instrumental in establishingthe Annandaie Creative Arts Centre, which ishome to avafleq/ of creative collectives. PastorDoug has a passion to support the training andequipping of Christian leaders all over the world.Newtown Mission currently supports 33 overseasworkers, located across the globe.Compassion Pastoq Brian Unterrheiner overseesthe welfare ministry of the church. The Drop-InCentre provides meals, counseling, legal adviceand support for those applying for Centrelink andhousing. Local businesses and members of thecommunity play an active role in supporting thedrop-in centre. Brian and his wife Sue are wellrespected members of the Newtown community.Pastor Andy Collins oversees several initiativesdesigned to help people grown in their Christianfaith. Small groups, Christian households, andhealing services are all important aspects ofNewtown Missioris discipleship program. PastorAndy is married to Melissa and their young famtlybring a note of optimism and joy to the church.While many things have changed over theyears, Newtown Mission continues to be avibrant hub of activity in our community.The church is characterised by a strong focuson social justice, down to earth relationships,authentic worship and creativity.We would love you to join us!

Thank You: X4ona Jeffries, Amanda &James Hallihan, Peter Bendey, Richard Luke, Deanna, Gavin, Edmond and Linda from UCA Archives, Rob Nance, PhilMarsha1l, Con Stamos, Stephen Davis, Doug Clements, Andy Collins and Len Thompson. Photography this page by: Rob Harding. Design: Amanda Hallihan.

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