EARLY DAYS

Interior of the Wesley Chapel today

On 30^th June 1843 the colonial government made a grant of 4850sq metres for a church, school and residence on the outskirts of Campbelltown for those of a Wesleyan religion. The Chapel was opened in October 1846 with 40 people present. The service was conducted by the Superintendent of the Parramatta Circuit. Membership was small but by 1848 the full cost of the chapel at 100 pounds had been paid for.

As often happens in the life of the broader church, splits within the Wesleyan congregation gradually appeared, one catalyst being the emergence of a Congregational church close by. This lead to fewer and fewer Wesleyan services and members until, ultimately, the Wesleyan Chapel was closed (and used to store hay).

However, the congregation was reformed and after 20 years it was re-opened on 4^th October 1885. In 1902 the Methodist Union of Australia was formed and so the Wesleyans became Methodists. The Chapel (now called a Church) was extended back 20ft and the vestry added at the rear about 1905. Campbelltown became a separate circuit in 1908 with a membership of 52. In 1946 a Centenary Tea was held at a cost of one shilling and 6 pence. In 1947 the Church had a membership of 50 and on 27^th November 1947 the foundation stone for a parsonage was laid.  Reeve Hall was built in 1960 at a cost of 8500 pounds and served as a place of worship from 1972 to 1982 The Church became a Regional Mission on 1^st January 1972. The Cyril Hawkes Hall which had served as Leumeah Methodist Church from March 1953 was moved to the Allman St site in June 1972.

In 1973 the congregation had outgrown the Wesley Chapel and the Reeve Memorial Hall became the place of worship. By 1976 membership had reached 270. The Uniting Church in Australia came into being on 22^nd June 1977. The local Presbyterians voted by a very small majority to stay as continuing Presbyterians but about a third of the congregation joined the new Uniting Church. On the 30^th October 1982 a Multi-Purpose Centre was opened as a new place of worship. It was paid off in 2008.

Multi-Purpose Building Opened in October 1982

Particularly since the formation of the Uniting Church, there was a deep concern for the people of Campbelltown, not just those who attended worship. Over the last 40 years the church has run and been involved in a variety of programs, designed to meet community needs.

Recent Developments

The congregation was officially joined in 2017 by the Fijian congregation who had been worshipping in the MPC for many years. We continue to explore our relationship how we can better do ministry and mission together.

The COVID pandemic was a very challenging time. We found ourselves in a ‘red zone’ of particular danger of transmission. This meant that we could not meet together in person for about 16 weeks. Services were streamed from the church, with just the minister, technician and one other participant present. This continues to the present day. On-line bible studies ran for over four years.