Plymouth Brethren plan church hall in North Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, with local builders

A new church hall planned for North Tamworth is expected to provide a gathering space for local families and to create work for local builders and tradespeople during construction. The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church says work on the single-storey hall is expected to begin late this year or early next year, following approval from Tamworth Regional Council.

The church says it intends to use local builders and tradespeople where possible and aims to complete construction quickly to minimise disruption for nearby residents, a practical commitment to neighbours (Romans 12:18). Local church member Julian Jensen thanked the council and the surrounding community for their support.

Jensen said the congregation has met in halls and small meeting rooms across the region for well over one hundred years. He described the group as “a relatively low-key bunch,” adding that nearby residents may not have noticed its members coming and going for daily Bible readings and prayer meetings.

According to Jensen, the new building will allow members to worship together in one purpose-built room. He said the council’s Blueprint 100 plan was a factor in the church’s decision to invest in a new main gathering hall, noting that the site lies within an area recognised by local and state government as central to the region’s future. The church has included more seats than it currently needs to align with those growth plans.

The hall will primarily cater for weekly gatherings of between 50 and 120 local worshippers, though larger gatherings and special events may occasionally be held there. The development will include off-street parking and landscaping, and the church says the building has been designed to fit within the surrounding streetscape, tucked into the corner of the property.

Jensen said the church wants to thank its neighbours and the council for their welcome and that members “will ensure the hall will blend into the streetscape.” He also said the hall will not have amplified music and will not be available for hire.

Jensen said that, with good weather, construction should begin late this year and be finished next year. “We want to get going as soon as possible, so we can finish the build quickly and keep the construction disturbance to a minimum,” he said.

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