St James’ Uniting was the first church ever built in Proserpine, and in December, after over 100 years of standing proud on the corner of Herbert and Main Street, it was demolished.
The once local heritage site was de-registered in April last year and, having received immense structural damage during Cyclone Debbie, a full investigation deemed the structure unsafe.
The Proserpine Uniting Church Committee came to the decision to rebuild the church on the same sight and in mid-December, Proserpine said goodbye to one of its oldest buildings.
In a candlelight service, the Uniting Church congregation held a moving ceremony, recalling all the wonderful events that had happened over their 86-year tenancy at the church.
The Church Committee now have a building planning group who are working on designs and how to develop the space.
“Initially, we’re going to do some garden beautification until we have surveyors, architects and all of that,” Reverend Suzy Sitton.
“It won’t just be a church building, it will be something multi-purpose, and a space that provides a sense of well-being, peace, and an area that people can ask questions.
Reverend Sitton said that the building will be “signed, sealed, delivered” by November 2023.
“We’ve still got work ahead of us with the initial stages, but we’re underway now,” she said.
The church has reached out to its worshipers in Proserpine for over a year, seeking the opinion of the community in what they would like the space of worship to be like.
“It’s not going to be a quick project because we’re engaging with community to find exactly the needs for our community,” Reverend Sitton said.
“We had a lot of conversation leading up to Christmas, and people from the community were able to engage and talk to us about that.”
Quoting Ecclesiastes 3:1 in the Bible – “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven” - Proserpine worshippers now welcome in their new season of beginning.
Services are currently held at the old hall behind where the church stood and will continue to be held there until the new building is finished.
Proserpine Uniting Church held a goodbye candlelit ceremony before the demolition of the old church building in December
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