General News
29 October, 2026
'Community cornerstone' for sale
A community campaign is underway to prevent Jeparit's former Uniting Church from being lost to private use.
The Menzies Symposium hopes to buy the Lloyd Street church and hall, and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help keep the buildings available to the community.
Jeparit congregation member Campbell McKenzie said the Church Council in the Lowan Parish have decided to follow the process proposed by Church Synod to sell the Church and Hall as one lot and the Manse as a second lot.
“The sale process has commenced,” he said.
The sale is risky unless a buyer comes through to purchase it for the community.
Former Jeparit resident Walter Sholl said, “If they (The Menzies Symposium) possibly can, they want to buy the church and the hall."
Mr Sholl said although it’s no longer a church, in the sense that it’s been deconsecrated.
“We can still use it for funerals, and weddings that need be,” he said.
“In fact, we've used it for funerals since we closed 12 months ago.
“Because the only other church that's still active in the town is the Lutherans.”
Mr Sholl expressed the importance of spreading the news across the Wimmera because, like himself, many who have lived in Jeparit now live in surrounding areas such as Horsham and Warracknabeal.
Mr Sholl's father, Rev. Ray Sholl, served as minister of the Uniting Church from 1951 to 1957.
Mr Sholl said he was also a minister himself at the Uniting Church for a little while.
His wife, Eileen, wants to remind people that the church is a cornerstone of the community.
“That church is not just a building,” she said.
“It holds memories of past weddings and funerals.
“It's about the people.
“So basically it's up to the community.”
Jeparit used to have six churches of different denominations, and now only one remains operating as a church.
When asked what will happen if the building does get sold.
Both Mr and Mrs Sholl said that if a private buyer takes it, it could be turned into a house.
“We want a community use," they said.
“So the worst outcome is the church becomes a house."
As of going to print, no deadline has been provided yet for the sale.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/help-the-jeparit-community-buy-the-uniting-church.