Thursday 8 December 2011

Oatley, Baptist Church

The Mortdale-Oatley Baptist Church is located on the corner of Boundary Road and Woronora Parade, in the southern suburb of Oatley. The Mortdale Baptist Church dates back to 1896 when  it began as the Mortdale Mission, with services held in a small wooden hall known as the ‘Hut’ in Morts Road at  neighbouring Mortdale. The church has been at this site in Oatley since 1919 but only became known as the Mortdale-Oatley Baptist Church in 1998. In these days of dwindling church attendances, mergers of parishes and church closures, some churches are using these sorts of trendy signs with catchy slogans and websites as advertisements to attract parishioners.

28 comments:

  1. I love the history you've shared of the church. I always say to you, I love the fact you're sharing your bountiful, beautiful country with us blog visitors.

    Have a great day.

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  2. A "sign" of the times...excellent shot of the church and signs!

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  3. ... I'll never in my life once more to Australia and so I would say thank you that I can see through your beautiful pictures so much of it here, the images have a great quality, what I can do not, it looks very happy to ... warm Christmas greetings from Geli

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  4. We see the same things here: declining attendance, closed and/or merged parishes, flashy signs...
    (sigh)

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  5. Power lines generally ruin photos, but I like the way you have incorporated them into the composition here, Jim.

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  6. that sign will not be missed.

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  7. it is a shame that it is covering up the window, though.

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  8. This is very unusual to me. We would never see signs posted directly on a church here. Great shot!

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  9. The building might have been lovely, but the trendy signs with catchy slogans as advertisements are not.

    I would clean up the bushy trees, remove ALL ads to pickets on the street line and show off the building.

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  10. I've never seen such large signs on a church either - we usually see those 'write your own message' signs out front! I know most churches are trending toward more up-to-date and/or funny signs to try to attract the younger generations.

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  11. Hels, I'm with you. I'm more interested in the architecture of the church and feel like the signs deface it. I photographed it because I found it unusual but now I'm seeing it happening more and more.

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  12. I was definitely wondering why the signs were what they were. Now I understand. I wonder if it is working for them. Nice capture. genie

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  13. Very trendy signage for a church. I remember seeing a sign on a church in Toronto that has always stayed with me.. "Free tickets to heaven"

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  14. Before reading your narrative I already thought, Wow, what a modern sign for an old church!

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  15. The signs took me by surprize, progressive publicity, the church looks solid yet welcoming..

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  16. Nice shot...too bad about the sign covering up so much beauty.

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  17. at 1st i thought it was a movie theater with the big ad on the front. so different. ( :

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  18. It's a shame the sign blocks the front of the church but the message is one I can relate to. Come as you are! Thanks for sharing this week.

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  19. Sounds like churches are facing the same problems all over the place. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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