History of Padstow Congregational Church

It was the first church in Padstow and was owned by the Congregational Union of N.S.W. It came under the oversight of the Revesby Congregational Church, and was called the Padstow Community Church. The idea in the early days was that different denominations were responsible for one Sunday Service each month. It did not work, and the church became a Congregational Church, ordering its own affairs. Once a month the Revesby minister took the service.

In the early 1930’s the then Secretary, Mr Joseph Watt, was concerned about the state of the church. So few were attending and things were getting worse. One of the lay men, who from time to time took the services, was Mr Nendick Donsworth from the Revesby Congregational Church. As Mr Watt worked in his garden one day he felt led to ask Mr Donsworth to take over the work. Mr Donsworth became Superintendent of both the church and Sunday School. He was a devout Bible Student and under his leadership the work prospered.

For a short period around 1932, the church was known as a Gospel Hall and after that as an Independent church.

By 1954 when the number of young people had increased, the need for some outside fellowship for them was seen to be desirable. It was decided that the church should seek to again become a Congregational church to give more scope for our Young People to mix with other Christian young people.

A satellite Sunday School was begun in One Tree Point. Mr Mannell, a Bankstown Christian businessman, owned a boat shed at the end of Villiers Road, which he allowed us to use. It was never a big work but four teachers went out each Sunday afternoon. Mr Steer, who was well into his seventies, rode his bicycle as did Les Pickard and George Watt with Mrs.J.Watt and Miss Nora Bate who lived nearby. Mrs Watt, who was in her late sixties, would walk out there. The area was not developed to the extent it is today. Part of the trip was through a bush track, which started opposite where the Catholic church is now and came out near the water tower. On a number of occasions she encountered snakes.

About this time other denominations came into Padstow. People who belonged to these denominations naturally left us to join their own church. Some of the young people would go to their family church for services and come to our young people's activities, especially Christian Endeavour.

One of the strengths of the church was its Christian Endeavour Societies. There were different grades. Buds catered for preschool children, Junior for primary school children. Intermediate was for teenagers and Y.P for older young people. Many had their first taste of Christian service in a C.E. meeting. They learned to pray aloud, to read the Bible; to chair a meeting and to prepare a paper on a subject designated in our Topic Books.

A feature of the C.E. was the monthly Consecration Meeting, which was held on the first meeting of the month. The Society was divided into two groups of members, Active and Associate. An active member acknowledged our Lord Jesus as his Saviour, promised to read his Bible, and pray daily and pledged himself to take part in the meetings of the Society when asked to do so.

Each month active members renewed their promise to do what they were asked. Associate Members promised to attend. Christian Endeavour was a wonderful training ground for Christian Service and from its ranks many entered full or part-time service. Satan had a wonderful victory when the Christian Endeavour movement was allowed to decline, partly because of denominational developments, which catered for young people in other ways.

In those days the church met monthly for Fellowship Teas with other Padstow churches. While always interested in Missionary work, that interest was quickened when Miss Una Tompson, who had taught in our Sunday School, went into Bible College and left during the war in about 1941 to go as a Missionary to Africa. In 1941 the Nash family began worshipping with us. Both sons were in the Army and started Bible Studies with the troops. Roy was released from the Army and went to the Warburton Ranges in Western Australia as a missionary among the Aboriginals with the United Aborigines Mission.  After the war Ed followed him to the Warburtons, worked with “Gospel Recordings” in Derby and Sunday Island (W.A.). After spending some years in aboriginal work he and his family were called to join the South Seas Evangelical Mission and worked in the Solomon Island.

After the war permission was given to build a hotel about two doors from the church in Cahors Road (in what is now known as Howard Road). This created much concern for our Pastor Rev Simon Buttle. He began searching for a more suitable site to which we could relocate the church and found the land on which the present church stands in Faraday Road. It consisted of three blocks of ground on which a home and tennis court were built. After negotiations the Congregational Union purchased the property.

The old church building was moved to the new site. It was quite a day for the children at the school opposite when the church building was brought along Faraday Road from Howard Road and then backed into place where it now stands.

The Sunday School was an important part of the church’s outreach to the community. In fact, it was one of the main reasons for building the new church. Sunday School Anniversaries were always a feature of the church year, with up to 120 children taking part in the service. They were packed onto the platform. Their singing and performing specially prepared items at the Anniversary was a great attraction. People would be crowded in, making perhaps 200 in the building at a time. It gave a wonderful opportunity to reach the community with the Gospel and speakers were chosen with this in view.

The Billy Graham Crusades began their twenty-year cycle in 1959. The church enthusiastically supported them and although there was no great gain in numbers, many who did the Counselling classes were richly blessed.

The new church was opened in 1968 and after a short period was debt free. It was about this time that Sunday began to lose its sacredness. The Government allowed Sunday trading to begin. Instead of being a day of rest it quickly became the day of sport and pleasure. Sunday School numbers dwindled, especially when parents who had cars made it a picnic day and took their children away. Sunday School Anniversaries, although still held, began to lose their appeal.

The church’s missionary vision was revived again when some of our young people became missionaries, and were helped by the church both in prayer and in finance. Miss Marilyn Trivett and Miss Muriel McKay went to Nepal. They were followed by Miss Bev Hayden who trained at the WEC College and later with her husband Jim Honkey served on the Mission ship the “Doulos”. Brian and Jan (nee Trivett) Allbutt were accepted as missionaries by WEC and planned to go to Columbia. However, because of Brian’s training as a printer, they were persuaded by the WEC Council to stay in Australia and head up that side of their work. In 2000 Brian is Director of the WEC work in Queensland.

While still part of the Revesby circuit, Padstow had as pastors Rev. W.Frith (1928-1933), Rev G.A. Bailey (1933-1936), Rev T.J.Harper (1936-1945), Rev L.G.Kay (1947-1949), Rev. S. Buttle (1956-1957), during which time Mr. E.Hand assisted Mr Buttle and Rev. R.Best (1960-1964). Rev Stanley Hopson, who also pastored Panania and Picnic Point Congregational churches, was our first full time pastor. Rev. K.L. Van Vorst (1965-1986) helped as needed. In 1972 Mr. Raymond Porter was called as interim pastor for a short period as was Mr Robin Bird at a later date (1976).

From the early 1930’s a movement calling for the uniting of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches gained momentum. In about 1975 our churches were urged by the hierarchy of the then Congregational Union of NSW and the Congregational Union of Australia to join the movement. When the Statement of Faith of the new body was studied, it gave no decisive statement on either the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ or the absolute Authority of the Scriptures.

It was because of this that Padstow Congregational Church and twenty-four others declined to join the Uniting Church of Australia. Had we joined we would have lost our independency, which we as Congregationalists have claimed as a distinctive of our church policy.

When the Union was established through an Act of NSW Parliament, the Fellowship of Congregational Churches was also established through a separate Act. (Act 39 of 1977). The Padstow Congregational Church was one of the original churches to be incorporated under this Act.

During 1978 the church unsuccessfully sought a pastor. Ultimately Mr Eric Leech who had been on the staff of “Youth for Christ” in Queensland was called. He resigned in 1979 to take up the work in which he is presently engaged. “Every Home for Christ” which was more suited to his temperament.

However during that period Mr. Ole Petersen and his wife started attending. They had just completed their training at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College at Croydon. He really came seeking a work among young people. When Mr. Leech resigned Mr Petersen was approached. At first he was reluctant, but accepted the pastorate and commenced his work in 1980 and remained until 1989. His ministry completely transformed the church. After a few years the number of people attending had increased to the point where size of the building had to be increased. He stayed until he believed that his usefulness to the church had finished.

For six months during 1986 a “pulpit exchange” agreement was reached. It was arranged that Mr. Petersen and an American Pastor exchanged pulpits. Pastor Petersen had advertised in our American Denominations papers and as the result Rev. Ron Sylvester became our Pastor with his wife Paula and their four children.  We were privileged to have his ministry. Mr Petersen pastored a Congregational church in Boston. It was an excellent experience for both Pastors and churches.

Mr Greg Yee became our Pastor for a period in 1990-1991 and was followed by Rev. Steve Chard (1991- 1995). Mr Chard like Mr Yee had worked as an assistant to Mr Petersen.

We enjoyed and were blessed by Rev. John Farr who was interim Pastor during 1995-1996.

Rev. Stephen Shooter was called in 1996.

Hector Franklin is our missionary at present (2001). He is currently working in Guinea where he is working as an SIM Bible Translator with the Manika people.

We give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings which we as a church have experienced down through the years. We have had the privilege of the services of men of God whom by their life, teaching and witness have been our Lord’s servants. The saving power of the Gospel has been preached and many people of all ages have found our Saviour. A number have been led to serve Him both in part-time and full-time service here and across the world. We owe a debt of thanks to those whose hearts our Lord touched, and who by their obedience relieved the church of the burden of debt and the ongoing payments both for the new building and the extensions. “To God be the Glory” 

George Watt – Church Elder August 2001