Our History
The history of the Gloucester District Baptist Church is closely linked with the Stroud Baptist Church which came into being in 1912.
One of Stroud's foundation members, Mrs Ellen Yates, with her husband Bill and family shifted to "Kimberly", Glen Road, Craven. In the year 1913 she invited the minister to come to Craven to commence a monthly church service. This was an open-air service on the bank of a dam, under the trees about a mile and a half from Craven near the Glen Road. Later, as Craven grew, the worship venue was shifted to an open paddock in front of the Craven shop if the weather was fine and under the verandah if it rained. The congregation sat on stumps and logs in the paddock or stood if it was at the shop.
The congregation increased, and in 1917 the Union Church was built and used by the Baptists for many years.
By this time the work had spread to Stratford as the Yates, Griffins and Germons, who were former Baptists from Dungog, were farming there. In 1918 a Union Church was built at Stratford which was used for Baptist services, with the minister still coming from Stroud.
About that time a service was started in the home of the late Bill Lowrey, south of Gloucester (the present gold paddock). This did not carry on for very long as there were only three or four Baptist families in Gloucester, and the distance was great from Stroud with transport being either by horse and sulky or motor bike.
This northern outreach of the Stroud Church was again reviewed in 1934 when a young Pastor, Albert Baker, started a service at Mr Tom Yates' home near Gloucester Railway Station. He went out as far as Mograni Creek to bring people to that service. Thus up till 1949 all the Baptist work in Gloucester District was either in rented buildings or in homes.
In about 1948 a once-a-month service was started in the Gloucester School of Arts which drew about 12 people a meeting. Rev Eric Walsham worked hard to strengthen the work in all centres. The minister based at Stroud was a busy man indeed as he had Craven, Stratford and Wards River, as well as Gloucester services.
In 1949 the Stroud membership had grown from Wards River to Gloucester and there was a general feeling there should be a church at Gloucester as about half the Stroud membership was in this area.
On April 23, 1949, a few interested Baptists met at the Union Church, Stratford, to discuss the possibility of forming a separate church at Gloucester. It was resolved this be done. The Chairman was Rev Cook of Stroud, Mr Harold Yates was elected as the first Church Secretary and Mr Cliff Griffin as Treasurer. Mrs Jean Griffin was elected as organist with Mrs Hilda Perrin to assist.
They set the wheels in motion to break away from Stroud so one year later on March 29, 1950, they again met at the Union Church, Stratford, to officially form what was to become the Gloucester District Baptist Church. That night the then President of the Baptist Union, Rev Clatworthy, officially received the following 16 people to form the new church: Mr and Mrs Alec Gresham, Mr and Mrs Cliff Griffin, Mr and Mrs Laurie Griffin, Mr and Mrs Maurice Griffin, Mrs Pearlie Martin, Mrs Hilda Perrin, Mr and Mrs Will Phillips, Mr Laurie Reeves, Mrs Hilda Rumble, Mr Harold Yates and Miss Eileen "Maude" Yates.
A separate church continued but still shared the same Stroud Pastor and met its share of financial obligations to the church. On September 9, 1952, under the leadership of an energetic Pastor, Rev Gordon Mitchell, the church opened its new building in Denison Street, Gloucester, with the then President of the Baptist Union, Rev N. Reeve, officiating. It cost about 4,500 pounds. A year later they called their first Pastor, Keith Bergin. They had no manse so the church rented a house for their minister on Mr Stan Deards' farm at Forbesdale.
In 1955 Rev James Waugh became the next Pastor, under whom they built their first manse in Barrington Street, Gloucester. The church membership was growing rapidly, and a Sunday School work had commenced. They had no hall so they rented the School of Arts.
In 1960 a church hall was built in 13 weeks, almost entirely by voluntary labour.
Rev Albert Sopher was their next Pastor. Later, a bigger manse in Queen Street was purchased. This was lived in by Rev Don MacDonald and Rev Matthew Smith. In Rev MacDonald's ministry three extra Sunday School rooms were erected onto the rear of the Church. Rev Phillip Wheatley moved into a new church manse in Francis Street.
The then church building was erected to seat 120 but about 150 people were being crowded into a service. The church decided that the old church be taken down except for the floor and the western wall with the eastern wall extended. This would seat 200 people. The new extensions were opened on September 14, 1984, by Rev J. Edmonstone and cost $70,000.
Along with the opening, Rev John Renaud commenced his ministry and was the pastor with Malcom Sopher as secretary and Gordon Hayward as treasurer.
More recent history coming to this page soon.
One of Stroud's foundation members, Mrs Ellen Yates, with her husband Bill and family shifted to "Kimberly", Glen Road, Craven. In the year 1913 she invited the minister to come to Craven to commence a monthly church service. This was an open-air service on the bank of a dam, under the trees about a mile and a half from Craven near the Glen Road. Later, as Craven grew, the worship venue was shifted to an open paddock in front of the Craven shop if the weather was fine and under the verandah if it rained. The congregation sat on stumps and logs in the paddock or stood if it was at the shop.
The congregation increased, and in 1917 the Union Church was built and used by the Baptists for many years.
By this time the work had spread to Stratford as the Yates, Griffins and Germons, who were former Baptists from Dungog, were farming there. In 1918 a Union Church was built at Stratford which was used for Baptist services, with the minister still coming from Stroud.
About that time a service was started in the home of the late Bill Lowrey, south of Gloucester (the present gold paddock). This did not carry on for very long as there were only three or four Baptist families in Gloucester, and the distance was great from Stroud with transport being either by horse and sulky or motor bike.
This northern outreach of the Stroud Church was again reviewed in 1934 when a young Pastor, Albert Baker, started a service at Mr Tom Yates' home near Gloucester Railway Station. He went out as far as Mograni Creek to bring people to that service. Thus up till 1949 all the Baptist work in Gloucester District was either in rented buildings or in homes.
In about 1948 a once-a-month service was started in the Gloucester School of Arts which drew about 12 people a meeting. Rev Eric Walsham worked hard to strengthen the work in all centres. The minister based at Stroud was a busy man indeed as he had Craven, Stratford and Wards River, as well as Gloucester services.
In 1949 the Stroud membership had grown from Wards River to Gloucester and there was a general feeling there should be a church at Gloucester as about half the Stroud membership was in this area.
On April 23, 1949, a few interested Baptists met at the Union Church, Stratford, to discuss the possibility of forming a separate church at Gloucester. It was resolved this be done. The Chairman was Rev Cook of Stroud, Mr Harold Yates was elected as the first Church Secretary and Mr Cliff Griffin as Treasurer. Mrs Jean Griffin was elected as organist with Mrs Hilda Perrin to assist.
They set the wheels in motion to break away from Stroud so one year later on March 29, 1950, they again met at the Union Church, Stratford, to officially form what was to become the Gloucester District Baptist Church. That night the then President of the Baptist Union, Rev Clatworthy, officially received the following 16 people to form the new church: Mr and Mrs Alec Gresham, Mr and Mrs Cliff Griffin, Mr and Mrs Laurie Griffin, Mr and Mrs Maurice Griffin, Mrs Pearlie Martin, Mrs Hilda Perrin, Mr and Mrs Will Phillips, Mr Laurie Reeves, Mrs Hilda Rumble, Mr Harold Yates and Miss Eileen "Maude" Yates.
A separate church continued but still shared the same Stroud Pastor and met its share of financial obligations to the church. On September 9, 1952, under the leadership of an energetic Pastor, Rev Gordon Mitchell, the church opened its new building in Denison Street, Gloucester, with the then President of the Baptist Union, Rev N. Reeve, officiating. It cost about 4,500 pounds. A year later they called their first Pastor, Keith Bergin. They had no manse so the church rented a house for their minister on Mr Stan Deards' farm at Forbesdale.
In 1955 Rev James Waugh became the next Pastor, under whom they built their first manse in Barrington Street, Gloucester. The church membership was growing rapidly, and a Sunday School work had commenced. They had no hall so they rented the School of Arts.
In 1960 a church hall was built in 13 weeks, almost entirely by voluntary labour.
Rev Albert Sopher was their next Pastor. Later, a bigger manse in Queen Street was purchased. This was lived in by Rev Don MacDonald and Rev Matthew Smith. In Rev MacDonald's ministry three extra Sunday School rooms were erected onto the rear of the Church. Rev Phillip Wheatley moved into a new church manse in Francis Street.
The then church building was erected to seat 120 but about 150 people were being crowded into a service. The church decided that the old church be taken down except for the floor and the western wall with the eastern wall extended. This would seat 200 people. The new extensions were opened on September 14, 1984, by Rev J. Edmonstone and cost $70,000.
Along with the opening, Rev John Renaud commenced his ministry and was the pastor with Malcom Sopher as secretary and Gordon Hayward as treasurer.
More recent history coming to this page soon.
