But perhaps as special as the 125th anniversary of St Mungo's Church was the way worship began in the historic town and how it would continue, Alexandra-Clyde-Lauder Union Presbyterian parish minister Andrew Howley said.
"Faith started before the building was here. The building's important, but faith is more important. There will always be faith outside of these walls."
Mr Howley delivered the anniversary service at St Mungo's yesterday, and the weekend celebrations also included a commemorative lunch, cake-cutting and historic walks and bus trips.
Parishioners and guests remembered how multi-denominational worship had begun in Clyde during the gold rush. Services started in the 1860s in a room at the early Clyde School, which welcomed Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic worshippers.
The Presbyterian St Mungo's Church was built in 1894.
St Mungo's was now the only church in Clyde providing regular services, and the Central Otago Presbyterian community was determined to continue worship there and at St Enoch's, in Alexandra, Mr Howley said.
Earthquake strengthening was needed at both churches, and options for this were being explored, he said.
