Clayton Congregational Church
| Clayton Congregational Church | |
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Clayton Congregation Church, circa 1897
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| Coordinates | 34°55′15″S 138°38′29″E / 34.9207°S 138.6415°ECoordinates: 34°55′15″S 138°38′29″E / 34.9207°S 138.6415°E |
 Location of Clayton Congregational Church in South Australia
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Clayton Wesley Uniting Church, formerly Clayton Congregational Church, is a church building in Beulah Park, South Australia (historically located in Kensington), located on Portrush Road, in a commanding position at the eastern end of The Parade, Norwood.
The first Congregationalists (or Independents as they generally called themselves) in Adelaide, led by Rev T. Q. Stow, met in a tiny building on North Terrace, Adelaide, and built their first chapel in Freeman Street (now Gawler Place), which opened for public worship on 1 November 1840. The second body of Congregationalists to form met in a small chapel in the north-west of Norwood from around 1840, and constructed a brick building in High Street, Kensington, on land contributed in 1844 by John Roberts (c. 1794–1875). Various ministers including T. Q. Stow and Rev. Thomas Playford (c. 1795–1873), father of the Premier, preached there until Rev. John Martin Strongman (c. 1815–1887) was appointed pastor in 1849. He drew large crowds, but left South Australia in 1853 without fanfare and never returned. Rev. Henry Cheetham took charge of the High Street church. Cheetham resigned from the High Street Church in May 1871 and Rev. William Nicholls was confirmed as his replacement in July. In September 1872 Cheetham was accepted as pastor of the church in Milang, where he served a grateful congregation until his death in 1881. Nicholls resigned in 1875, to be replaced by John Randall. By the end of the decade the church had no minister and the building was being used by the Bible Christian denomination.
In November 1851 a breakaway group formed a separate church which met at Roberts's residence, "Maesbury House". Roberts, who was antipathetic to Stow, but later publicly reversed his opinion, may have led the breakaway in response to Stow's pastorate. They were still meeting at Maesbury House when their first pastor J. H. Barrow held a service there on 21 January 1854. An institute hall was hired for the first public meeting on 2 July 1854, and plans were made for a permanent chapel. The block of land settled on was 150 by 450 feet (46 m × 137 m) on the corner of Kensington Terrace and East Parade, Kensington (now Portrush Road and The Parade, Beulah Park).
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