“It’s the end of an era,” says Bishop Robert Forsyth. Two of Sydney’s longest serving clergy will be retiring from ministry in the coming months after spending a combined 76 years serving in neighbouring parishes.

The Rev Gordon Robinson, 70, Rector of St Matthew’s, Bondi since 1965, and the Rev Terry Dicks, 70, Rector of St Mary’s, Waverley since 1967, will retire in July and September, respectively. They were appointed to their parishes prior to the 1969 ordinance that came into effect requiring clergy to retire from full-time parish ministry at 65.

Gordon Robinson has seen enormous change during his 39- year tenure in Bondi. “The church here was extended in the late 50s because there wasn’t enough room for the congregation.”

“In the 70s, the folk would meet for prayer at six o’clock in the morning at the beach then go for a dip. For several years the young people had a shop front where they ran [a] coffee house. We had 30 or 40 in that ministry.

“Since then, there has been a dramatic change. The young folk who made up a tremendous proportion of the group, have since married and moved away. When I came here, the local school had 40 in each class in the Anglican scripture. Now there is less than 15 [in Anglican scripture] in the entire school,” he says.

Mr Robinson has made new contacts through attending the citizenship ceremonies held by Waverley Council. The church has also done letter box drops for a different street each week, indicating they would pray for that street. “Otherwise, it has been through the members of the congregation, contacting their friends and neighbours,” Mr Robinson says.

He regards the people as the highlight of his tenure. “I have valued tremendously the effective, loving, consistent work of the people and their friendship over the time. I’ve baptised folk, prepared them for confirmation, and married them. Those who move around don’t have that type of opportunity for ministry. It’s been a great privilege,” he says.

“My prayer is that the faithful gospel ministry that has been exercised for 115 years will continue, and that there will be a revival in the area.”

Curate-in-Charge of St Andrew’s, Bondi Beach, the Rev Tom Henderson-Brooks, is the new minister of St Matthew’s, Bondi.

“These two have been so close to each other,” says Bishop Forsyth of the two rectors. “It’s been a very committed faithful ministry over a very long time.”

Mr Dicks, who has been Rector of St Mary’s for 37 years, was made a quadriplegic after being involved in a surfing accident last year. Despite his injuries, he has returned to carrying out his duties to the best of his ability.

“The most courageous thing on his part was to make a comeback,” says St Mary’s parishioner Robin Hutcheon. “Many of us felt he ought to concentrate on getting mobility back fully before he resumed his duties, but Terence is not that sort of person. As soon as he could negotiate his way around on his wheelchair using his chin, he was back on the job. He comes into the church from hospital every day by taxi. He talks to people with somebody holding a phone to his ear,” he says.

“I will miss preaching and presiding at the Eucharist,” Mr Dicks said. “You are there for happy occasions, baptisms, weddings, and your also there at the funerals, but you really do know the people. The people at St Mary’s have become my family over the years.”

“We are in the process of following up as many baptism families as possible and inviting them to a regular family service and to a barbecue. We have had a healing ministry on Thursdays for close on nine years. Another ministry has been the blessing of marriages for Japanese people. We explain the Christian wedding service to them and give them copies of the New Testament in Japanese,” Mr Dicks says.

Bishop Forsyth said, “there’s an optimism and energy about Terry, a love of people, that I think is very commendable. Replacing him will be extremely difficult.”

In turn Mr Dicks has been greatly encouraged by his congregation. “I’ve seen St Mary’s go from a place with no clerical or lay assistance, to a place with wonderful Christian men and women and young people who take responsibility. I’m satisfied with that,” he says.