The old beauty of Wingewarra Street was packed with both regulars and those who sensed a piece of Dubbo’s history was in the making.

Families associated with the church since it was built to serve the Presbyterian parish in 1927 were there. Individuals who have for decades shared their gifts and been nurtured in turn were also there.

Looking around the church one was struck by the church’s treasures - the memorial pews, the stained glass windows.

It was a goodbye to all those familiar features and although Christians will profess that the church is the people, they still value particular places for worship.

Dubbo Uniting Church minister the Reverend Chris Paine reviewed the church’s past brave steps.

It had not been easy to pull down the original church and build the present day St Andrew’s in the 1920s, nor had it been easy for the Presbyterian and Methodist churches to unite in the 1970s, he said. Dubbo Uniting Church is not alone in having to coming to terms with declining church attendance and increasing costs. Churches will have to ask themselves how they can reach out to the community in the 21st century. They need to ask themselves how faith in God translates into a local mission of care.

The impending sale of St Andrew’s has shown that many who do not attend church regularly value these hearts of the community and has also raised questions about faith.

Individuals should engage with these discussions for their own and the community’s benefit.