Worship returns to St Barnabas' Church for first time since 2014 fire

A small but dedicated group of parishioners attended the ruins of the St Barnabas' site on Easter Saturday for a service conducted by Reverend Paul Woodhart and Reverend Anastasia Webster-Hawes, with assistance from Maureen Arnold.

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Rev. Woodhart, who was parish priest at St Barnabas' between 1992 and 2004, said the service was organised to offer tidings of hope for the church's parishioners.

"We mowed the interior of the church and tidied up the site to provide a special Easter service for the St Barnabas' community," he said.

"The service was designed to bring a strong sense of hope for people who had a firm connection to the church."

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With the COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, attendance had to be in accordance with social distancing guidelines, but the entire service was filmed and uploaded to Youtube.

"There's around 30 members of the community who are still loyal to the St Barnabas' congregation, and this was an opportunity for parishioners to take a trip down memory lane," Rev. Woodhart said.

"In these trying times, it's important to keep the faith, and we always strive to apply the teachings of the Bible to present-day situations."

While it is unlikely the church will be rebuilt as it once was, Rev. Woodhart said there are plans to repurpose the St Barnabas' site as a place of worship.

"The Anglican Diocese has $100,000 banked from the sale of St Martin's Church in Perthville [to Bathurst Regional Council] to bring a sense of normalcy back to the site," he said.

"The works will include new toilet facilities, a worship centre in the hall and further support for the remaining walls."

The Anglican Diocese of Bathurst was founded in 1870 and covers 30 Parishes from Oberon to the Queensland border.