ONE of the Berea’s iconic landmarks, Musgrave Methodist Church in Musgrave Road, is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the existing church building with a special service at 9am on Sunday, 30 September honouring the beautiful building.
The celebratory anniversary service sees former Natal Coastal Bishop, Revd Purity Malinga, as the guest speaker on the day. Vocalist and classical music/opera lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Lionel Mkhwanazi will be singing a solo during the service.
The church, on a corner stand where St Thomas and Musgrave roads meet, plays a prominent role in the lives of many who live on the Berea.
Boasting distinctive architecture, magnificent stained glass windows, a well-kept garden, an active multi-purpose church hall, a handsome old manse (now office suites and small businesses), and one of the finest pipe organs in Durban, Musgrave Methodist has been the spiritual home for generations of Berea churchgoing families.
Musgrave Methodist has seen literally thousands of babies baptised, couples married and dead honoured. Musgrave Methodist has always had an active Sunday School which is still active today.
The first Musgrave Road Methodist Church was opened on Easter Sunday in 1877 but this building was later demolished to make way for the existing church. Many will remember the famous Greenacres department store in Durban, which closed in May 1982.
The land the church is on was donated by the Greenacre family, whose family home, The Caister, stands nearby. Their home later became a popular hotel and is now a retirement complex.
Originally the church land adjoined the Greenacre estate and was little more than sand-hill and bush. The 1877 church proved too small for a rapidly-growing congregation and a new church was needed.
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In April 1893 the foundation stone for the new building was laid, and so began the life of one of the Berea’s architectural gems. The building cost 3 200 pounds and most of the money was collected ahead of time.
The congregation grew and the church was the spiritual home of several prominent Durban families, including business rivals Harold Payne and Walter Greenacre.
They were the proprietors of rival retail departmental stores in the city. They also alternated as treasurers of the church trust. A manse, a late-Victorian villa was built in 1895 and added to in the 1920s, and a hall, for Sunday School, was added in 1899.
This makes it the oldest church complex in the vicinity (1890s).
In 1929 two elements were added to the church which continue to delight congregants and visitors today. A new organ was installed, one of the finest instruments of its kind in Durban. Over the years the trustees have made sure the organ remains in working order and when the congregation celebrates the 125th anniversary on 30 September, the organ will have a special role in the service.
Also unveiled that year was the beautiful stained glass windows. Designed by a professor in the Fine Arts department at the then University of Natal, they were known at the “Hulett Window”.
Everyone is welcome to the 9am service on 30 Sunday. Contact the church office on 031 201 2005.
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