Southern Pastorate

Welcome to the Southern Pastorate Congregations: Gambier East & Port MacDonnell.

Combined services are held at various locations on the fifth Sunday of the month.

Weddings & Baptisms

If you are interested in hiring or using either church for a wedding or baptism please contact the Church Office.

Leadership Team

We are a group of lay led congregations overseen by a combined Church Council. Leadership of worship is provided by several worship teams with the assistance of lay preachers and Uniting Church Ministers associated with the Southern Pastorate. A Pastoral Care Team provides support for the Church Community and beyond.

Church Office:
Wed 9.30am – 12.00noon
T. 8725 3470

Pastoral Matters:
T. 8725 3470

Family Service – Sundays 9.30am
Our Family Service is led by a different team each week.

For more information, contact the Church Office.

The Gambier East Church was opened on 28th September 1958 by Rev. S. G. Forth of the then Mount Gambier Methodist Church and Rev. A. R. Medson, President elect of the SA Methodist Conference. Thanks to the foresight of members of the Wesley Methodist Trust, the land had been purchased some 5 to 6 years earlier and the building financed from Circuit funds.

With the opening of the Mount Gambier No. 1 State Sawmill there was an urgent need to provide a church and hall for the increasing number of young families that were being housed in the area. Since 8th April 1956, a Sunday School had been held in the Gambier East Primary School (now Melaleuca Park School) During the early period of the Gambier East Church Sunday School enrolments increased rapidly – on Palm Sunday 6th March 1961 the enrolment reached 251.

Over the 50 years there have been Youth Groups, Kid’s Clubs, Girl’s Clubs, Tennis and Netball teams entered in local competitions. The Women’s Fellowship Group also flourished and is still in operation. This group has been instrumental in raising funds to provide furnishing and equipment needed. The Sunday School went into recess for a period because of lack of numbers, and Children’s Ministry – JAM@East (Jesus and me at East) commenced for a period of time, but now in recess.

Worship by the Sea – Sunday 9.30am

Fellowship Group
Second Wednesday of each month at 1.30pm, meeting at the Port MacDonnell Church.