Celebrating Adamstown Uniting Church

The year 2024 is a big year in the life of Adamstown Uniting Church. It marks a new beginning as well as a celebration of both 100 years and 150 years! 

150 years ago, in May 1874, Cornelius Decker called a meeting near a turpentine log, where Adamstown Library now sits. He wanted to begin a Sunday School, and it quickly evolved into a thriving church. This gathering became the church we are today. Interestingly, Adamstown Uniting Church and The Nags Head Hotel (the local pub), both share their 150th birthdays this year. What a lively community there must have been in the early days of the Adamstown village!  

50 years after this, in 1924, the ‘Jubilee Methodist Church’ was built and opened it’s doors to the community, and with Union in 1977, we became Adamstown Uniting Church. For 100 years people have gathered in this building, worshipping on this precious Awabakal Land that has been a space of Spirit and Dreaming for thousands of years.   

And this year, as we completed renovations on our 100-year-old building, made possible by the generosity of The Hunter Presbytery, we welcomed a new minister in placement, Rev. Greer Hudson, after two years since our previous minister, Rev Rod Pattenden, retired. A trifecta of celebration for Adamstown in 2024! 

Today, Adamstown Uniting Church is a beacon of light on the hill. It is well known for its rainbow steps, sorry garden, inclusive community, vibrant and original music, Dungeon Big Band, Adamstown Arts, and of course, its puddings. With a rich and strong history, Adamstown Uniting Church continues to have heathy connections to the local community through its open doors for spiritual growth, offering its venues for community events and activities, and the delicious products of its Adamstown Pudding Kitchen (available to purchase here).  

To celebrate both 150 years of meeting together, and 100 years of our beautiful church building, we are hosting a weekend of activities that all are invited to. Starting with an Open Day on Saturday 23 November, from 10am-2pm, visitors are welcome to enjoy food, stalls, activities for kids, art, as well as historical displays.

On the Saturday night we will share in a concert of top-quality music, celebrating the history of the church and in particular Adamstown Arts. And on Sunday morning our celebrations will culminate with a special Sunday service of praise and worship followed by a morning tea feast.

The doors are open for any who have connections to the church, or who simply want to join in the celebrations, to come to any and all of our celebration events over the weekend. Join us as we give thanks for the past and look with hope to the future. 

Greer Hudson is Minister of the Word at Adamstown Uniting Church

All the details of the celebrations can be found here.