St Thomas’ Church – A faithful Berea beacon for 160 years

St Thomas’ Anglican Church on Durban’s Berea this year celebrates 160 years of serving the people of Durban.

This week’s photo is taken from Musgrave Road looking back to the “new” St Thomas’ Church, alongside St Clement’s restaurant, part of the Berea’s “Holy Corner” with Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Musgrave Methodist Church, St Olav and the Musjidus Salaam Musgrave Mosque.

Photographer Shelley Kjonstad cleverly included a minibus taxi in her photograph, referencing the tram in the original photo. Much of the church’s façade is obscured by an enormous Natal mahogany tree, which had not been planted when the original photo was taken.

The original St Thomas’ Church was “West of the Bay” on the corner of Ridge and Julia roads: Julia after the daughter of Captain Allan Gardiner ‒ a retired British navy officer who, in 1835, settled in (then) Natal to begin missionary work. The Old St Thomas’ Church in Ridge Road occupied the site of Captain Gardiner’s original Berea Mission which doubled as a schoolhouse. The church was a stark white timber frame covered in corrugated iron in pseudo-Gothic style with a tall slender spire over the entrance. At the time, pre-fabricated church buildings such as the original Old St Thomas’ were produced in kit form in the UK (along with classrooms and houses) and shipped to various parts of the world. It was completed 160 years ago, in 1864.

This structure was in use until 1899 when the new St Thomas’ Church was built on Musgrave Road, on land which belonged to department store owner, Benjamin Greenacre.

By 1928 the old church had become so dilapidated that its steeple collapsed and the remainder had to be demolished. A chapel was built in its place as a memorial to Captain Gardiner, in what is now the original church cemetery. A communion service is held every Wednesday at 5.30pm.

“New” St Thomas’ was formally consecrated in December 1924, 25 years after its completion ‒ the Diamond Jubilee of the Old St Thomas’ and the Silver Jubilee of the New St Thomas’.

New St Thomas’ is famed for its imposing, majestic Te Deum window above the altar. It was designed in 1904, made in England and shipped to Durban.

When the church in Musgrave Road was built in 1899, the organ installed in Old St Thomas’ in 1893 was brought across to the new church. In 1904, the same year as the Te Deum window was designed, money was donated for the present organ made by Henry Willis & Sons, then regarded as the leading organ builders of the Victorian era. It is considered one of the finest church organs in South Africa, still producing wonderful sound, more than 100 years later.

Now after 160 years, St Thomas’ Anglican Church is still very much a place of active Christian community and great pastoral care. A popular church for weddings, it has a charming tea garden. It is also regularly used for Sunday afternoon fine music concerts.

However, St Thomas’ Church is suffering the same challenges as dozens of old church buildings across the country: dwindling numbers of congregants coupled with ageing buildings incurring enormous maintenance costs. The days of generous donations from parishioners towards upkeep and improvements are long over and keeping the churches’ doors open and the building operational is really difficult.

Fr Dane Elsworth, Rector of St Cyprian’s, Umbilo and now Priest-in-Charge of St Thomas’, Rev lan Blyth and the leaders of St Thomas’ invite readers of the Independent on Saturday to participate in the myriad parish activities and services. Of special mention is the service celebrating the church’s 160th anniversary on Sunday, November 17 at 11am featuring the Durban Chamber Choir under the baton of Dr AJ Bethke, followed by a parish lunch. All are welcome, but please book your place at the lunch table on saintcyprian@telkomsa.net. The cost is R120 per person.

Also diarise their Remembrance Service on 10 November at 8.30am.