By Joseph Smith

The parish of Blackheath is undergoing the difficult process of reform with the impending closure of two branch churches.
Rector of Blackheath, the Rev Ian Mears, and Assistant Minister, the Rev Michael Horsley, believe the closure of St Luke’s, Medlow Bath and St Thomas’, Hampton, at the beginning of 2005 will help spread gospel ministry and will be a more effective use of strained resources.
However, the closure of the churches is leaving some parishioners heartbroken.
Medlow Bath parishioner, Clair Isbister, is against the closure of St Luke’s because of the loss to the community. “It’s the only church in Medlow Bath. As there is no other church, I feel it’s absolutely essential that it should be preserved,” Dr Isbister said.
But the Archdeacon of Western Sydney, the Ven Ken Allen, admitted it is a necessary “rationalisation of resources”. Archdeacon Allen has said that in 2005 there will only be one full-time minister employed in the parish, making ministry at the six parish centres unfeasible.
“The church was assisted with money from the Archbishop and the [Western] Region. Private donors helped keep the two ministers, but that won’t last forever. The Rector doesn’t see why we should ask the Diocese for money for a new assistant minister,” Archdeacon Allen said.
Mr Horsley believes it is inefficient to spread ministry resources too thinly across many centres. “It is more effective to use our resources for an appropriate-sized congregation and get the gospel message out to as many as possible while supporting and encouraging each other,” he said.
The average attendance is 120 people across six centres, with an average of 45 at Blackheath, 30 at Mt Victoria, and anywhere from six to a dozen attending Medlow Bath and Hampton. “We would like to see an amalgamation of the congregations of Hampton and Hartley, and the congregation of Medlow Bath with Blackheath,” Mr Horsley said.
“It’s been exciting seeing people come to the realisation that gospel ministry is the emphasis. Some Hampton people can see this. They still argue it is best to keep their church open, but some are coming around to discuss the future of the church from the view of the gospel, rather than just saying ‘this building has historical significance, or there has always been a church here’,” he said.
But Dr Isbister believes Medlow Bath can sustain services through the use of retired ministers taking the service each week. “The church has been carrying on alright. The two previous ministers managed. We have a different preacher each Sunday, and the congregation gets on fine.”
St Aidan’s, Blackheath churchwarden and parishioner, Judith Finney, sees the reliance on retired clergy as impractical. “In the past we’ve always had a number of retired clergy who lived in the area who were able to help out but now more are retiring to the central and south coasts. Those retired ministers can’t help serve the churches in the mountains.”
Initiatives are being taken by the people of St Luke’s, Medlow Bath, to try and maintain the church’s viability. “We’re trying to plan a lot of things for this church, such as having special services arranged on long weekends when there are more people in Medlow Bath. We also feel it could be used as a community hall during the week,” Dr Isbister said.
However, there is no toilet facilities or water on the St Luke’s site, except for a gardener’s tap.
Mr Horsley is still keen for the Medlow parishioners to enjoy fellowship together. “There is a small growth group at Medlow Bath that meets on Fridays, and we want to see that maintained. But we would rather have a larger gathering meeting corporately and encouraging each other,” he said.
Mrs Finney feels sympathy for those who may lose their church, but says St Aidan’s parishioners have offered to collect Medlow Bath members and bring them to the Blackheath service if their church is closed. “I think it’s sad, but I’ve lived through a church closure before, and that went relatively smoothly. I’ve tried to put myself in the position they are in. If it were me, I wouldn’t want my little church closed, but I would also realise that a three minute drive down the highway isn’t too much,” she said.
“I’m praying it doesn’t cause a great lot of disunity. There are so few people we are hoping they will absorb in and that there will be no resentment.”