Union Church (Australia)
In Australia, a Union Church is a church building owned and maintained by a local trust and available to multiple denominations.
Such churches were once common in rural areas.[1] Some were available to all denominations and even to other religions, others specified particular beliefs, such as the Nicene Creed. A few still exist and are in regular use.
Existing Union Churches
New South Wales
Caloola Union Church
In Caloola, New South Wales, this is still maintained by a Trust, and has a historic cemetery. [2] [3] It opened and was dedicated in 1865.
As of 2020, four interdenomenational Sunday services are conducted each year, with clergy from several denominations attending each.
Purga Unite
Meroo Union Church
Mangrove Mountain Union Church
Queensland
In Queensland, union churches are often titled using words such as "non-denominational", "undenominational", "united" and "community".
Historic Union Churches
Renmark West Union Church
Made from the union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches. The Church began operating in June 1918 in the Renmark West School with Rev. E. W. Sanders (Methodist) and Rev. A. E. Francis (Congregational) and built their own Church on donated land, starting on November 6th 1919 and opened on October 31st, 1920. The Church continues operating today under the Uniting Church of Australia and celebrated its Centenary in November 2019. Services are conducted by the Renmark/Loxton resident Minister every Sunday at 8:30am.