Still serving the faithful

By Melissa Meehan
THE Warburton Presbyterian Church (also known as St Andrew’s) has filled an important role in community life in Warburton for over 100 years.
Where once it offered community and support to very physically isolated early settlers, today the church still caters for people’s need of community and care when social isolation, through family breakdown, mental illness, chemical dependency and many other factors, is a growing issue in the valley.
Current Minister Rev Tony Archer said that community values were a prominent feeling within the church.
“If there is one thing that characterises this church it is a fantastic sense of community and belonging by people of all ages and very different backgrounds,” Rev Archer said.
On 20 April at 10am the church will celebrate 100 years in Warburton at the present location.
The guest speaker will be a previous minister and present moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, Rev Graham Bradbeer.
The service will be led by Rev Archer, and will involve a previous minister, Rev Phillip Burns, who many will remember.
“They want to remember and be thankful to God for the past 100 years and look to Him also for the future,” Rev Archer said.
The current church opposite the chemist in Warburton was built in 1908, when the logging tramline of the thriving timber industry went directly past the front door.
Prior to 1908, the church congregation met in the Mechanics Hall in Warburton and services were held in many locations around the valley from Ringwood to East Warburton and including the now National Heritage Glen Ewart property on Don Valley Road.
The first minister would ride on horseback to bring friendship and spiritual nurture to the very physically isolated settlements scattered from Ringwood to Warburton on what were then reputed to be the worst roads in the state.
Many of the early ministers retired from broken health due to the extreme travel conditions and services could only be held on ‘moonlit nights’ due to the condition of the roads.
One of the original members of the church was Mrs Emma Fox, a well-known local name, and one of her descendants is currently attending the church.
Rev Archer said that it is possible for anyone to meet people all over the valley who were married or attended Sunday School at the church.
“For much of the church’s history, a church car and then buses would collect children and young people for Sunday service,” Rev Archer said.
“Warburton was always a place for battlers and the church house was built at great personal cost and self-sacrifice in 1926, the year bushfires raged through Warburton affecting many of the then 97 members.”
He said that today, the spirit of self-sacrifice continues.
“While many of the families who attend regularly themselves have young children, all are eager to make a difference in our local community,” Rev Archer said.
“Indeed the church has recently begun providing monthly free lunches in the church hall, which have been very well attended. We also offer parenting courses, a women’s support group and a Euro-strategy games group.”
Rev Archer said that the church remains a premier service organisation, which seeks to follow in Jesus’ footsteps who came to serve, and not to be served.