From modest beginnings and significant recent challenges, this parish shows just how much can be achieved by investing in parish property – and getting a little help along the way…
Denham Court Anglican Church boasts of having Australia’s oldest former private chapel still in use for church services.
The church building, St Mary the Virgin Denham Court, was originally built in 1838 as a private chapel in memory of Richard and Christiana Brooks of “Denham Court”. Set on six sprawling acres of beautiful land on Church Road, the newly restored church is now home to a vibrant and evolving church community.
The 186-year-old chapel stands proudly on the site, accompanied by a cemetery, rectory, demountable building, a small hall, outdoor playground, and an outdoor recreation area.
Martin Yeomans has seen many eras of Denham Court Anglican Church since joining the church in 1999, and has been both treasurer and a warden for many of the years since.
Tragically, Mr Yeomans (pictured) lost his wife Margaret during the very first wave of COVID-19 in 2020. Margaret is buried in the church cemetery, with graves dating all the way back to 1817. Some significant historical figures are buried there, including convict families from the Second Fleet as well as ANZAC soldiers who fought in Gallipoli in the First World War.
Mr Yeomans says, “It is a beautiful site. It is God’s little acre.”
The suburbs surrounding Denham Court are rapidly developing with new suburbs increasingly being developed over the last few years and more to come.
“Traditionally Denham Court has been a rather wealthy area, but the new suburbs are bringing in a wide variety of demographics and cultures which has been reflected in our church community too. Last Sunday we had 103 people across our two Sunday services, with many more in the community connecting with us through the week.”
Mr Yeomans shares that one of the most delightful areas of growth has been in the number of young families that have moved into the area and also started coming to church!
“They particularly appreciate the new playground, and the many activities run through the church including playgroup, food pantry, Bible studies, and so much more. Our church really is for our community.”
Restoring and maintaining
But the church at Denham Court has not always been thriving in this way. Not so long ago, four years to be exact, Denham Court had 30 members, maintenance on the building had been neglected, and funds were extremely tight.
Mr Yeomans explained that they had no choice but to turn to their congregation members to help make the change.
“We got a new minister at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdowns and also received some bequests around this time. We were determined to restore our beautiful property to one that we were proud of and excited to invite people along to.”
So, Mr Yeomans, along with his fellow wardens, and the new minister, Rev Richard Mills, galvanised the church into action in prayer, finances, and the skills and connections that God had given each of them.
Upgrading the chapel was a priority. The walls were cracking which meant the paint was severely chipped, and the tiled roof was far too heavy as a result of weathering over the years.
“We needed to find $200,000 to cover it all, and we got it! The congregation got behind us and it was spectacular. We got a new steel roof which was much lighter, all the walls were fixed and repainted, and we got air-conditioning installed in a way that doesn’t take away from the beauty of our chapel!”
The site is now maintained in partnership with the local corrective services and their community services program.
“We approached them to see if they might bring some of the members of their program to help with maintaining our site every couple of weeks because we really need all the help we can get with our six acres of land! It has been really wonderful.
“About a dozen workers come on Saturdays every two weeks and we put on a barbecue for them and chat to them about life and faith during their breaks. A couple of the young fellas recently came and told me that they had been cleaning up the area around my wife’s grave and headstone. I was deeply moved. I think this initiative has been a real blessing to everyone involved.”
The gift of grant funding
While it is clear that the parish of Denham Court is highly motivated to invest in their property to see many come to meet the real Jesus, the gift of grant funding from councils and government bodies has been an added blessing to the community.
One example of this is the NSW Energy Scheme, an offer put forward by Payless Energy, consultants specialising in energy efficiency.
“We received a phone call from Payless Energy that really seemed too good to be true. But after investigating it more, we discovered that it really was true! They came out to Denham Court in February and replaced all the lights in the demountable building, and upgraded our hot water service too.
“So, I contacted our SAP Regional Property Manager, Elle Byrne, to tell her about this great initiative.”
Following SAP promotion of the scheme, around 70 parishes in the Diocese have now taken up this initiative for themselves. These upgrades have been valued at more than $400,000, all at no charge and with significant ongoing savings to come on future energy bills and maintenance costs.
This scheme remains available to every parish in the Diocese and wardens are encouraged to get in touch with their SAP Regional Property Manager to take advantage while they still have the chance!
Another very successful grant has been the NSW Community Building Partnership (CBP) grant. There were 36 successful grants to parishes across the Diocese. Four of these were given to Denham Court. You can read more about this grant and others like it in our previous article here.
“Over the last four years we have spent $400,000 on improving the property and $90,000 on major repairs. $130,000 of this has been paid for through grant funding with application assistance from Sydney Anglican Property, and the rest [$360,000] has been raised through parish fundraising.”
Property on mission
Denham Court is a living, breathing example of what it means to put property on mission.
“Growth has come, not just because we’ve got the burgeoning surrounding suburbs, but people are inviting friends and neighbours because they are excited about Jesusand everything that is happening at the church.”
Further projects undertaken in the last four years include extending the verandah on the demountable building to make it more accessible, installing air conditioning in the demountable building, building and fencing the playground, building the outdoor recreation area and roofing it, and new chairs in the demountable too!
These improvements have enabled the property to be a facilitator of ministry and evangelism. However, these improvements would be “white elephants” without the commitment of parishioners to be prayerfully putting themselves out of their comfort zones and sharing the Gospel in their community.
Mr Yeomans is thankful for Elle Byrne in her role as Regional Property Manager. “She is very efficient, capable, and helpful. When she says she will get something done, she does. I give her 10 out of 10! This has been particularly seen in grant applications and information processing.
“Managing our property needs with the Diocese has vastly improved since building this connection with Elle and Sydney Anglican Property.”
The team at Denham Court is already planning for the next round of property improvements and considering what grants they can apply for.
“I’m in the process of getting quotes from companies so that I can be ready for when the grant applications need to be completed,” says Mr Yeomans. He strongly encourages other parishes to consider doing the same. “Yes, grant applications can take time, but they are worth it. And with the help of your SAP Regional Regional Property Manager, the load is lightened significantly.”