CENTENARY OF CHURCH

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31017, 24 March 1966, Page 22

CENTENARY OF CHURCH

Presbyterians At Brookside

The centenary of the Presbyterian Church at Brookside will be celebrated on April 3. Records show that a “sabbath school” was started in Brookside by Messrs J. Stewart and J Cunningham in 1865. and church services were also held, visiting ministers officiating. This building also served as the first school.

At that time the district j was known as South Selwyn and not until 1870 was the. name changed to Brookside in honour of Mr Brooks, who' gave the site for the school. It seems that the school and the Presbyterian Church remained “South Selwyn” until 1873. The first minute book of the South Selwyn Presbyterian Church (Brookside) records the election of the following to the first committee:—David Scott, John Cunningham. Andrew Stirling. James McLaughlin. John Corbett. David Wilson, Samuel McLeary and John Boag (chairman). The present church was built in 1867 at a cost of £152 on a site given by Mr John Cunningham senior Brookside became part of the Leeston parish until the termination of the Rev P. C. Durward s ministry in 1911. Brookside and Dunsandel then formed a new parish and worked together until the retirement of the Rev. Swanson Reid in 1922. Reports show that the church membership at that time was as low as 76. It was recommended by Presbytery that the parishes of the whole district be rearranged. This was done on April 1. 1923. Since then the Brookside church has been joined with Leeston.