For more than 150 years the Pleasant Street Uniting Church has been a pillar in the lives of thousands of Ballarat residents.
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However come the end of April, this church will go the way of dozens of similar institutions from around the region when it closes its doors for good.
Average attendance at a Sunday morning mass now ranges from about 18 to 30, barely filling a quarter of the grand building’s pews which were once full, particularly before World War II.
Congregation chairman Margaret Bennett said regular attendee figures had been on the decline for years, with young would-be parishioners increasingly filling their weekends with sport.
READ MORE: Is Ballarat losing its religion?
“Quite a number of our people have now gone into aged care,” Ms Bennett said. “We think the future is not worth it, so we’ve made the decision to close.”
While the-then Methodist faith would hold services in private homes and even on the nearby Western Oval during the mid 1800s, it wasn’t until 1863 that worship was first held at 36 Pleasant Street South.
At the height of its popularity the church, along with its hall and tennis court, were a focal point of both religious and social congregation.
For the likes of fourth generation attendee and church council secretary Lynne Jelbart, the institution was at the very centre of her upbringing.
“In my youth so much of the activity was church based,” Ms Jelbart said of her upbringing. “There was church dances and there was a very strong Ballarat churches tennis association which was the main tennis association in this area.
“It was such a social hub...there was all year round activities.”
READ MORE: St Thomas of Aquinas Church set to close
When looking at the most recent census figures, it hardly comes as a surprise the church is struggling to fill its pews.
The 2016 national count showed just 6.8 per cent of Ballarat residents identified as being part of the Uniting Church, a steep drop from the 9.3 per cent recorded in the 2011 poll.
The Anglican and Catholic churches also recorded notable drops in follower numbers.
On the same day Pleasant Street closes its doors, Clunes’ St Thomas of Aquinas Catholic Church will also be hosting its final service.
The majority of Pleasant Street’s remaining congregation are expected to transfer to the Skipton Street Uniting Church, while a smaller number will head to Neil Street.
April 29 will mark the end of a lifelong affiliation for parishioners like Ms Jelbart, however for others this will their second or even third church closure. The Newington site has taken in churchgoers from both Alfredton and St Cuthberts Uniting churches in recent years.
While sad at the prospect of leaving the grand Pleasant Street facility, Ms Bennett said the building was ultimately of little importance to parishioners.
“The importance of any church is its congregation, that is the people who are there,” Ms Bennett said. “The building in a way is not as important.”