SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 was a devastating day for the Jehovah's Witnesses community in Bathurst, who were shocked to see their Kingdom Hall burn down in a suspicious blaze.
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For two years, they have been without a permanent place of worship, but those days could soon be well behind them.
A development application (DA) has been lodged to rebuild the Kingdom Hall at the Sydney Road site in Raglan, which has sat vacant since the fire.
A single-storey building has been proposed and will fall well within the city's planning controls regarding height, which restricts the height of buildings to nine metres.
The building would have a setback of 60 metres from Sydney Road and 17 metres from Napoleon Street.
Inside, a 128-seat auditorium has been proposed, along with a 16-seat meeting room, bathrooms and kitchen facilities.
The existing 60-space car park to the north of the site will be retained, however, it is proposed to add three more spaces, including two accessible parking spots.
The project is estimated to cost around $660,000.
It provides a sense of certainty for the congregation, consisting of almost 100 people, who have been worshipping from home and the Raglan Community Hall in recent times.
NSW Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson Stephen Nicholson said, even though the project is in its infancy, there is a sense of excitement around what is to come.
"We're excited that we can go ahead and build a new Kingdom Hall, and really appreciative of the community support," he said.
He said the congregation remained strong throughout the more than two years without a place of worship and adapted to the changes put in place.
"Initially, of course, there's that element of disappointment about what occurred, but the congregation is like a family, so they pull together," Mr Nicholson said.
"We're talking very close to the COVID time period, so interestingly enough, right around the globe, Jehovah's Witnesses, we didn't miss a beat. We just moved onto Zoom and supported one another through that.
"As a community there in Bathurst, not only did the members of our church support one another, they definitely felt the support of the community around them and it was all positive."
The DA for the Kindgom Hall still needs to be approved, and the planning around the potential build is continuing, but it is hoped the new church can open in 2024.
"The later part of next year is our hope," Mr Nicholson said.
Rachel Chamberlain
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
