MMUC06

The Little White Church

I am a little white church sitting beside the road on a corner at Mangrove Mountain.  Everyone who passes, and there are lots of people who do, know me well and thousands have taken comfort because I have been there for more than 100 years. A beacon on the hill that has stood for community continuity and goodwill for everyone for so long.

While I was built at Mangrove Mountain, people from many other villages on the Central Coast Plateau know me well, have worshipped in me and know that I have a connection with people from Kulnura, Peats Ridge, Somersby, Spencer, Yarramalong, Calga and Central Mangrove.

The great grandfather of the person writing this story about me actually built me although she didn’t know that until a few weeks ago and she was Christened in me more than 70 years ago.  She had worshipped in me for more than 30 years until eight years ago when her congregation had to move because they couldn’t afford the rent any more.  She is very anxious for me.

I have been a part of the lives of so many families.  Lots of them worshipped within my walls I only wish I could tell the all the names.  You could look in the Visitors book for some of them.

Over the years I have had numerous upgrades, a small meeting preparation room attached, a separate hall for community use, new pews, carpet, ramp, several garden makeovers, even a fence and someone a couple of decades ago had the foresight to clad my exterior to avoid the need for expensive painting every few years.  So much has been achieved to keep me safe and well cared for by so many for future generations.

Even now that church attendance has diminished somewhat from the more traditional religions as society evolved to playing sport on Sundays and even shopping, my community still sees me as the little white church with the beautiful and ancient red gums standing proudly behind me.

My days as a community icon are coming to an end.   Unless a few people change their minds, and I am so hoping that they do, about selling to the highest bidder and donating the proceeds to people who have not loved me or cared about me for so many decades.

I am very sad to think that this might happen because in my heart I know there is a future for me within  the mountain community…my prayer is that there is a miracle out there to save me for my community.