Mukinbudin Uniting Church will be celebrating their 50th anniversary while also welcoming Rev John McKane as the new minister to the Eastern Wheatbelt Parish, which also includes Merredin, Bruce Rock and Southern Cross Uniting Churches.
Well before the union of the three churches which formed the Uniting Church, the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches were already worshipping together in Mukinbudin. Rev Terry Tero, the minister at the time, used to take services in the local Country Women’s Association (CWA) building, before encouraging the congregation to build their own church in 1964.
The church was named ‘Mukinbudin Pioneer Church.’ A Sunday School hall was built in 1973 to cater for a number of young families that were attending. The congregation are now looking forward to welcoming Rev John McKane. John, his wife Bronwyn and his two young children will be arriving in Australia from South Africa, where he has been the minister at Linden Presbyterian Church, Johannesburg. He was ordained in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa around 15 years ago and has had a connection to our land prior to his move, his father being Australian.
The plaque unveiled on 21 March, 1964.
Bob French, from the Eastern Wheatbelt Parish is looking forward to the fresh new faces in the region.
“It’ll be the first time that we’ve had a minister with school-age children in a long time,” he said.
The induction and anniversary service will be held at Mukinbudin Uniting Church on Sunday 24 August. Past and present ministers and members are invited to commemorate the occasion.
Top image: The assembled community for the opening of Mukinbudin Pioneer Church in 1964.
