Musselburgh church marks centenary

The official party for Saturday's Musselburgh Presbyterian Church 100th anniversary celebrations opening - (from left) centennial committee chairman Robert Hunter, minister the Rev Henry Mbambo, Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Right Rev Dr Graham Redding - prepare to be led into the church by piper Raymond Goodfellow.

A congregation of more than 150 parishioners and friends gathered at Dunedin South Presbyterian Church on Saturday to launch the centennial celebrations for Musselburgh Presbyterian Church.

The church in Queens Dve, which has hosted the combined congregations of St James and Musselburgh churches since 1994, welcomed the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Right Rev Dr Graham Redding, and Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin as official guests.

Founded in the Masonic Hall in Prince Albert Rd on October 10, 1909, the Musselburgh Presbyterian Church was built on the Queens Dve site in 1910.

The church has had 11 ministers, including the present minister Rev Henry Mbambo, and many of the various ministers' children and grandchildren, along with past and present members of the congregation, were involved in the weekend celebrations.

During Saturday's gath-ering, Dr Redding unveiled a plaque commemorating 100 years of service by the church to its community.