Tumut Property Sale Enables New Missional Opportunities

Around five years ago, the Uniting Church congregation in Tumut closed its doors, marking the end of regular worship at that site. Since then the property comprising the church building, hall and manse has been under the care of Riverina Presbytery.

During its final years as an active congregation, the Tumut community demonstrated its commitment to local service by leasing the manse to Tumut Regional Family Services (TRFS) in 2015. TRFS is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting individuals and families through some of the hardest seasons of life. Its work includes specialist homelessness services, domestic and family violence support, crisis accommodation for women and children, transitional housing pathways and wellbeing programs all of which help to strengthen the broader Tumut region.

Since the congregation’s closure, the Riverina Presbytery has continued to maintain the former church property to support community services. The main hall became a hub for local activities including weekly use by a foodbank and meetings of the local Scouts and the church building has been used by a Fijian congregation on Sundays. However, as Presbytery itself faced structural and financial challenges, including recommitment to the Regional Partnership framework, the ongoing cost of managing multiple buildings became increasingly unsustainable.

In response, Property Services (PS) worked closely with Riverina Presbytery to evaluate the future of the site. This collaborative process, guided by the Regional Partnership Committee (RPC), recognised both the heritage of the Uniting Church’s presence in Tumut and the ongoing needs of the community. After careful consideration, PS and Presbytery reached a decision: the time had come to sell the property in a way that honoured its purpose and supported local mission.

Under the RPC’s direction, Property Services initiated discussions with the existing tenant, TRFS. These negotiations were undertaken with patience and care, with the aim of recognising the vital services TRFS provides while ensuring the property sale could contribute to broader missional work across the Riverina and the new Presbytery.

The outcome of these discussions was positive. TRFS, already deeply embedded in community support work, agreed to purchase the property. This move not only secures a long-term home for their operations but also frees up resources that will help fund other mission activities within the region.

This transition reflects both the challenges and opportunities facing the Uniting Church in rural contexts. As community needs evolve, so too must our stewardship of resources. The sale of the Tumut property enables a local organisation that directly supports people experiencing hardship to grow and stabilise its services, while also allowing the Synod and Presbytery to invest more intentionally in missional priorities across the Riverina.

The Synod gives thanks for the faithful witness of the former Tumut congregation, the ongoing hospitality shown through community use of the buildings, and the dedicated work of TRFS in providing compassionate support to those in need.

TRFS manager Karen Tobin, Carmel Stuckey, Allan Tonkin and Tim Oliver of the Blakeney Millar Foundation at the newly-purchased TRFS headquarters in Wynyard Street.

Image Courtesy: © Tumut and Adelong Times