How We Built a Church

During my ten-year ministry at St. David's Congregational Church in Port Elizabeth, we built a Church. I came across a history of the building of the Church today. This might not be of mere historical interest, but of practical interest to people looking in here.

November 1980 ... Rev. Ron Aston is ordained. Retiring collection for a Building Fund
February 1981 ... The Women's Association donates R700 to the Fund
February 1981 ... Prizes of R10 and R20 are offered to students for a Church design
May 1981 ... Models of the Church are inspected, and prizes awarded
February 1982 ... There is R13 000 in the Building Fund
March 1983 ... Building costs are estimated at R500 per seat
March 1983 ... A resolution is taken to build a Church
March 1983 ... A 6-member Building Committee is appointed
March 1983 ... A decision is taken to sell a nursery school owned by the Church
November 1983 ... Rev. Ron Aston suddenly passes away
December 1983 ... My availability for the ministry of St. David's to be probed
February 1984 ... The Church Meeting extends a call to me
April 1984 ... I am inducted into the ministry of the Church
July 1984 ... Two erven are consolidated for the building of a Church
July 1984 ... Building Committee chairman Roy Speed proposes building without delay
July 1984 ... Roy Speed proposes a Loan Plan to jump start the project
July 1984 ... Total cost of building is estimated at R100 000
September 1984 ... A bond is taken out to cover the balance of building costs
September 1984 ... A Fund Raising Committee is established
February 1985 ... A quotation of R108 000 is accepted from Speyers
February 1985 ... The bank grants a R103 000 bond and building is ordered
February 1985 ... Fred Friskin is entrusted with a photographic record of the building
February 1985 ... The Church is to cover foundations and all brickwork for R43 000
August 1985 ... The Church is completed. Roy Speed pays tribute to all the Committee
August 1985 ... Special gifts are received for the new Church
August 1985 ... The final cost of building is R111 264
August 1985 ... The pre-primary school is sold for R65 000
July 1986 ... Loan Plan participants donate everything to the Church
July 1988 ... The Deacons propose the purchase of a Manse

OBSERVATION: Some things may not be obvious here. Rev. Ron Aston quickly developed a large membership. The Church prioritised a new minister over building a Church. The Loan Plan was big. The July 1988 proposal shows that the costs of a new Church were very quickly paid off.

POSTSCRIPT: Multiply rands by 20 to obtain today's value (very roughly).