General News
4 January, 2024
Summer reading: We like our little church
By CHRIS EARL HUNDREDS of trucks and cars sweep around the bend at Bear’s Lagoon every day. Some drivers may miss the changing signs of faith outside the 112-year-old St John’s Anglican Church, their passengers catching a fleeting glimpse. But...
By CHRIS EARL
HUNDREDS of trucks and cars sweep around the bend at Bear’s Lagoon every day.
Some drivers may miss the changing signs of faith outside the 112-year-old St John’s Anglican Church, their passengers catching a fleeting glimpse.
But every second Sunday, half a dozen or more cars, farm utes and trucks turn into the neatly-mowed churchyard that brings worshippers from across the district.
A timber church in the middle of nowhere that has a dozen or so regular worshippers of all faiths and denominations.
St John’s is the last church still open in the district. People travel from Calivil, Serpentine and Mitiamo for services.
Among them is local priest Sue Allen, the Mitiamo farmer’s wife who ministers to parishioners in Pyramid Hill, Cohuna and Leitchville.
Sue was feeling more than a little nervous ahead of last Sunday’s Blessing of the Animals service.
She had only printed 20 copies of the order of service - more than 30 people filled the pews, along with dogs, tender young chickens and Scamp the cockatoo who later appeared miffed he had not been given a special role in the service.
Sue has been preaching in Bears Lagoon since February, before that based in Kerang after earlier being chaplain at East Loddon P12 College.
“This was my first pet service. I think it went okay,” Sue said afterwards as car boots were opened and plates of country-cooked food placed on trestles erected in the yard.
“As other churches have closed, we have gathered Christians from around the area. The church is a beacon ... we have an eclectic group, a real family atmosphere.”
For some locals, attending St John’s continues more than a century of involvement and tradition.
Bill Twigg was born nearby, baptised in the church and among the first to arrive most Sundays with wife Gwen.
Between the singing of well-known hymns Morning has Broken and All Things Bright and Beautiful, Sue had introduced and blessed the animals, including the six chickens brought to the service.
Then there was applause for Gwen and Bill - the couple had just celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.
Bill had met Gwen at a dance in Bendigo’s Pacific Ballroom. They married 60 years ago in the Bendigo suburb of Kennington and Gwen has been on the farm at Bears Lagoon ever since.
“We live in the same house I was born in,” Bill said. “We come to the church where I was baptised more than 80 years ago. We like our little church.”
Bill said special occasions, particularly Christmas Eve, could see up to 90 people attend the service.
“That’s because people come back - the next generations - to the district to be with family,” he said.
Applause of parishioners for Bill and Gwen during the service was interrupted when Scamp, the 50-year-old cockatoo broke from owner Russell Mountjoy’s loving embrace.
The doors, still showing the mark left by water gushing through the historic building during the 2011 floods, were hastily closed.
A quick nibble on the window frame and Scamp was happy to be on his best behaviour for the rest of the pet service.
Families like the Twiggs and Mountjoys now share time in the well-maintained church with newcomers to the district.
David Murray comes to visit mate Andy Wood every fortnight and attend the church services. “It makes my month,” he said unwrapping sandwiches after the service. Andy had bought the adjoining block of land in 2012 and later built his retirement home after working as a crane driver in Melbourne.
“Everyone is involved in the church,” said Bill Twigg. “It’s for all.”
Coral Maxted agreed. “It’s somewhere everyone can go. I started coming here when Calivil closed. St John’s is very much for the district and families.”
The church was built in 1911 and with its beautiful stained pine interior is classed as a fine example of the small weatherboard country churches that were once so common in northern Victoria.
Back at its centenary, more than 200 people attended a special service where 100 helium-filled balloons rose to the ceiling and later released to fly high above the farms around Bears Lagoon looking down on sheep, cattle and growing crops.
Sue Allen on Sunday rose beyond her nerves - drew a few comparisons with the famous episode of British television show The Vicar of Dibley when the fictional St Barnabus welcomed a menagerie of animals - and said faith should dictate printing more orders of service when pets next return to be blessed at Bears Lagoon.