In brief …

If you had come to this area during the early years of the Uniting Church in
Australia, you would have found a Uniting Church at Clyde, where a Methodist
church had existed since the early 1900s, and one at Devon Meadows. There was no Uniting Church in
Cranbourne itself, as the Presbyterian Church here had remained Presbyterian,
and there had been no Methodist Church.

The Uniting church in Cranbourne commenced in 1980, early meetings being in members’
homes. In October of that year, services commenced at the Courthouse in the Old Shire Offices.
The witness box was the pulpit. The house meetings continued as fellowship gatherings.
The first Christmas Bowl Appeal was organised, and envelopes were delivered to all the
houses in Cranbourne.

In 1982, Rev Weston Elvins was appointed, and a unit was rented as a Manse.
Rev Bonnie Bradley was ordained in December 1982 and became our minister in January
1983. We undertook Religious Education at Clyde and Devon Meadows, and regular
services at Cranhaven, a home for elderly people.
Land was purchased in Lesdon Avenue for the building of a church, with money given by
Armadale Uniting Church. Devon Meadows new Worship Centre was built and
dedicated in 1985, and in 1986 Cranbourne, Clyde and Devon Meadows became a
Parish. Generous gifts of money from many churches, together with grants and loans from Synod,
and a great fund-raising effort from our ladies enabled a new church building to
be built and furnished in 1989. A Manse was purchased in 1992.
Rev Wayne Brown became our minister in 1993, and remained until December 1998. Our
minister, Rev Paul Creasey was appointed a year later and stayed until May 2007. It
was with great sadness that a decision was made in 1999 to close the church at
Clyde. The final service there was attended by many past and present friends of
that church, and was an occasion which evoked many memories of its 90 year
history. For about 3 years, Devon Meadows UCA congregation went into
temporary recess.

Rev Wendy Snook started in February 2008 assisted with our multicultural diversity and foundation work in establishing the Food Truck, concluding her ministry with us in 2016.

Cranbourne Regional UCA church is growing in new ways, filled with hope and enthusiasm for whatever lies ahead.