ON August 25, 1968, after several years of meetings by a small group of people, the Muswellbrook Baptist Church formally started with 16 members.
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In the five decades since then, it has seen countless people and numerous changes.
To many in the community, the building is the most obvious sign of a church’s existence and over these 50 years much has altered.
The church met for its first few years in the CWA Hall and acquired a block of land at 79 Sydney Street.
A surplus building from Sandgate Baptist Church was donated in 1974, and the Muswellbrook Chronicle featured a story about its arrival on the back of a truck to become the church’s first building.
In 1975, the old house next door, 77 Sydney Street, was bought and used as an office and Sunday School.
In 1986, the building was greatly expanded, a steel frame erected over the old church, new walls installed, and the old building demolished inside.
Then, in 2007, after demolishing the deteriorating house, affectionately referred to as “77”, a new hall with Sunday School rooms was opened as an extension to the main building, with a new car park adjacent to Garlick’s Hardware.
In 2015, a new fenced playground was installed and that’s the appearance of the property today.
But, for those who have been a part of the church, it is much more than just a building - it has comprised many hundreds of people who have been a part of the congregation during that time.
Over the years there have been seven ministers who have led the congregation plus two full-time assistant pastors and one part-time.
The church has always been fortunate, over the past five decades, to have among those who attended, a large proportion of young families and this has meant playtime gatherings for pre-schoolers, a Sunday School and youth groups.
And, these continue today.
The church will host an anniversary celebration on Saturday evening, August 25, and then a special morning service on Sunday, August 26.
Everyone who has been a part of the church is warmly invited.
An invitation is also extended to others interested in acknowledging this milestone event.
Phone 6543 4094 or contact admin@brookside.org.au