RECOLLECTIONS
52 years ago on 2 February 1964, the first worship service of the still
unnamed Presbyterian Church in the Watson and Hackett suburbs was held.
That was the start of today's St. Margaret's Uniting Church. It is timely,
therefore, to have received this contribution from the first Minister, the man
who conducted that first worship service.
St Margaret’s began in 1964 as a Presbyterian congregation and it was in 1966 the
elders encouraged me to pursue co-operation with the Methodist Church. We
consulted Rev Rex Mathias, Superintendent of the Canberra Methodist Circuit and
he advised that there were no plans for another Methodist congregation in North
Canberra other than existing Reid and O’Connor churches. There was a small
Methodist Sunday School in Downer school under the leadership of Bruce and Lois
Evans and others. This was eventually incorporated into St Margaret’s.
Information was sought from some Methodist/Presbyterian co-operation in
Victorian towns. To protect the rights of Methodist members and keep a roll a
Leaders’ Meeting was set up with Rev George Wright of Reid as Chairman and
Mr Phil Matthews, a recognized Local Preacher, as Secretary. Thus, when it came
to the Church Union v oting a decade later that roll would allow members to choose
in that vital decision - Presbyterians in their system and Methodists in theirs.
When all the planned steps were made and agreement from the Circuit and the
Presbytery a Covenant Service, endorsing St Margaret’s as a Joint MethodistPresbyterian congregation, was held on 12 February 1967 with Rev Rex Mathias,
Superintendent of Canberra Circuit and Rev Alex Watt, Moderator of Canberra
Presbytery taking part. The document outlining the co-operation concluded with the
statement expressing the hope of eventual corporate union which, of course, took
place in 1977 with the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia.
On regular occasions Rev George Wright from Reid Church would lead services
and Communion according to Methodist custom in Watson School where we
worshipped at that time. We used the Presbyterian Hymn Book but I was careful to
select hymns and quote the Methodist Hymn Book number in the order of service.
It was all very harmonious.
Another expressed wish was that St Margaret’s could have alternate Presbyterian
and Methodist ministers. This came about, when in late 1970, I moved to Griffith,
NSW and Rev Graham Ross, a Methodist Minister came from Queensland in 1971.
At the same time, 50 years ago, discussions were going on with Holy Cross and
the Anglican diocese about church building. Perhaps more on that later.
- Don Erickson
St Margaret's News
10
February
2016