History of the Goldfields Alliance Church
1983 was a significant year. In March Noel and Olive Blyth held the first meeting in their home at 86 Forrest Street Boulder. The first C&MA fellowship meeting was held on April 25th at the home of Kevin and Ann Ewings. On the first Sunday in June, the fourth of June, the first public C&MA meeting was held in the drama Room of Eastern Goldfields Senior High School. The first "Missionary Faith Promise" meeting was held on June 26th with Geoff and Dee Bennett being the speakers, $1,093.00 was promised -the beginning of continuing generous support for missions from GAC, Then at the August meeting of the Board of Managers of the Christian & Missionary Alliance of Australia the Goldfields Alliance Fellowship was granted "Unorganised Church" status. There were regular midweek meetings for Bible Study and prayer as well as Sunday morning services and evening fellowship.
Two and a half years after the first public meeting GAC purchased 42 Hannan Street from George Weston Foods Ltd on the 23rd of December 1985. Over the following years renovations were progressively carried out. These renovations continue to the present day. At the end of December 1987, some four and a half years after planting the church, Noel Blyth, resigned from pastoring the church in order to focus more directly on his ministry to aboriginal people.
At the beginning of 1988 John and Robin Laughlin and their family arrived from Victoria. On the first Sunday in February John began pastoring GAC. During the 13 years of his leadership many significant events occurred in the life of GAC. In November of 1988 GAC was granted "Organised Church" status -with 23 founding members (two of these still fellowship at GAC: Zoe Stockdale and Clive Willis-Jones). In 1989 Julie Roda came to the church as pastoral assistant and Ron and Diana Williams joined GAC to work with aboriginal people. Towards the end of 1989 the Yiwarra Palya Alliance Church was begun as a daughter church of GAC under the lead- ership of Ron Williams.
In 2000 John resigned from pastoring GAC to take up leadership at Southern Districts Alliance Church in Perth. In November of 2000 Patrick and Ronnie Coman arrived to take up the pastoral leadership of GAC.
From 1990 onwards many of the early members and attendees began to leave the city for other places and average weekly attendance has continued to decrease. However God continues to be faithful to us and use the people of GAC to have a part in the ex- tension of his Kingdom. There has been much fruit from the ministry of those who have been part of GAC. Many souls have been won to Christ, some have received healing and some people have had various other needs met. Many have been discipled and some have gone on to be trained for full-time Christian ministry. There have been numerous public and personal ministries to families, men, women, singles, youth, children and the community that have shown God's love and born fruit for the Kingdom. Missions has always been a high priority and people have faith- fully prayed and given generously, There have been regular Bible Studies, prayer meetings, teaching and special meetings. There have also been outreach meetings, crusades, conferences and camps with special visiting speakers -to name just a few. Many have faithfully served God in GAC as they work in the harvest field of the Goldfields alongside their brothers and sisters in Christ in the other churches in this city of gold. This fellowship and unity in the Spirit continues to be a source of encouragement.
The ministry of GAC is not complete -there are more chapters to write in the history! God is still building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!