History

In January 1976 the Surrey Hills (Wyclif) Congregational Church and the Surrey Hills Methodist Church, together with a number of Presbyterian families, joined to form a congregation of the newly formed Uniting Church. The Presbyterian Church in Surrey Hills remained Presbyterian. In June 1977 The Uniting Church in Australia was inaugurated and our congregation formally became the Surrey Hills Uniting Church.

Both of the pre-Uniting congregations have had a long association with Surrey Hills. The Congregational Church commenced services in 1884 in Norfolk Road while the first Wesleyan Services were held in the Recreation Hall in Albert Crescent in August 1887. A small Wesleyan Church was erected in Alexandria Avenue in 1888 and was enlarged three years later. A new Congregational Church - "Wyclif" - was built in 1889 and continued to be used until the Uniting Church was formed in 1977.

The Wesleyan Church became the Methodist Church in 1902 when Methodist Union took place in Australasia. By 1908 the Alexandra Avenue site was proving to be too small, so the building was moved, with the aid of a large team of horses, to the present site in Canterbury Road, the gift of the Honourable Robert Beckett M.L.C. - a foundation member of the church. A new church was erected on the site in 1915 and continues as the present Uniting Church although very considerable alterations were carried out in 1983 to meet the needs of the Uniting Church Congregation.

Over the past five years, our congregation has been developing a missional partnership with the congregation of St James, Wattle Park, in order to facilitate deeper missional relationships and shared activities. In late 2017, the two congregations resolved to amalgamate, and continue as one congregation on the Surrey Hills site. 

Our congregation is delighted and proud to support and encourage a ministry in the Kenyan community of Naivasha. This ministry, pioneered by one of our members (Christie Faulks), is entitled SOSK (Skills, Opportunity, Survival in Kenya). 

If you would like to learn more about SOSK or make a donation CLICK HERE