Save our church

BY DI SNEDDON Singleton Argus

21 Jan, 2010 04:16 PM

NINETY-THREE year-old Roy Smith could not believe his eyes when more than 140 people streamed through the door to attend a public meeting
to save the St Clement’s Anglican Church at Camberwell from demolition.

“I didn’t know I had so many friends,” Mr Smith said after the meeting.“I feel very humbled by the support and more confident,” he said.

They came from all church denominations to hear a very sombre account of the situation the St Clement’s community now face.The 150-year-old church
 was damaged by an act of vandalism in March 2008.The interior of the church was viciously attacked before being set on fire causing widespread damage.
Since then a committee has worked tirelessly to coordinate the church’s repair liaising with the church, the insurance company, builders, architechs and volunteers.

All that work came to an abrupt halt early December when the Newcastle Anglican Dioceses properties approvals board wrote a letter saying the
150-year-old church was to be demolished and the insurance payout used for other works in Singleton. St Clement’s Anglican Church was insured for
 $1.7million but only a fraction of that amount, $362,259 will be paid out.All those at Saturday’s
 meeting unanimously supported the retention of the church, many leaving angry after hearing the full story.
They unanimously demanded the insurance amount, and its interest, be released by the Newcastle Diocese.
Graeme Cheetham was among the first crew of fire fighters to attend the church fire back in 2008.

“I could not believe any person could devastate a building to such an extent,” he said of the crime.
But those emotions were put aside, taken over by the need to restore the church to its former glory.

“To now demolish such a building is nothing short of criminal and I warn all of you, if your church suffers some ill-fate the properties approval board
will demolish your church,” he said.

Janene Smith, who travelled from Brisbane to attend the meeting, said her original motivation was her father-in-law.

“Now I am motivated by the group of people here today,” she said.
When she approached the Newcastle Diocesan to seek mediation, she was told the decision was unable to be changed.
She quashed a number of rumours that had been circulating and affirmed St Clement’s was financially viable.

“Of the 12 churches in Singleton, St Clement’s is second only to Warkworth (in terms of church contributions),” Mrs Smith said.
She said claims that the congregation numbers were small were unfair.

“If you go to any small church, numbers are small, I went to St Luke’s in December and there were three clergy and eight in the congregation,” she said.

She also denied that the church land was to be underground mined saying that a meeting with the nearby Ashton Coal representatives Peter Barton
 and Lisa Richards confirmed the land would not be mined and they expressed a desire for the church to remain.“St Clement’s pays a yearly insurance
 premium, the church was damaged by the fire but remains structurally sound, an insurance claim has been made and the money has been banked and that
money should be given to St Clement’s for the restoration of the church for which it was intended.”

Leonie Ball, a member of the restoration committee, gave a long and detailed account of the meetings.
“Between the five of us we travelled 3000km to and from meetings, I travelled 1300 of these kilometres, this has been a long and arduous task,”
Mrs Ball said.She said rising damp within the church had compounded the repair bill.The properties approval board require the rising damp repairs
as part of the overall work, an amount not covered by insurance.

She said when the restoration committee was told of the board’s decision they were totally in shock and disbelief.
She said committee members went to that meeting to discuss steps to liaise with he board but instead, were told of the decision to demolish.

 

Next step to save church

21 Jan, 2010 04:17 PM

MORE than 600 signatures have been collected on a petition calling the Right Reverend Dr Brian Farran, Bishop Anglican Dioceses of Newcastle,
to reverse the decision to demolish St Clement's church.The petition also calls for the insurance amount of $362,259 plus the interest it has been
accruing, be released as soon as possible so it can be used for the purpose for which it was intended.It also calls for the right of St Clements
 parishioners to engage an independent report to determine the extent of rising damp and act on the result if required and that the Anglican Church
continue to conduct services at St Clement’s as long as the parish is able to meet its financial obligations.

A committee was elected to take on the fight. Graeme Cheetham was elected chairperson, Carol Garvie secretary and a committee consisting of
Janene Smith, Lyn MacBain, Jan Andrews and Colleen Harper.