A milestone marked

Posted in Faith

Church members across Australia this year have celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia – but the Church is not the only one marking a milestone. Congregations and individuals across South Australia have celebrated their own significant anniversaries and birthdays. While news of these occasions are not always passed along to New Times, submissions are sometimes made and featured online.

In this brief article, Janis Iles encourages the Uniting Church community to celebrate the 100th birthday of Pattie Iles – a long-time member of the South Australian church.

Earlier this year, Pattie Iles turned 100, celebrating with friends and four generations of family in her Daw Park home.

Although she was raised an Anglican, Pattie began worshipping at Trinity Congregationalist Church after her marriage to Gordon Iles, who sang in the church choir. Trinity became a Uniting Church after the 1977 union.

On moving to South Australia in 1975, Pattie joined Westbourne Park where she took part in worship and women’s groups. Pattie continued worshipping there until mobility issues necessitated a change. She began using Songs of Praise as her ‘church’. Her contact with the wider church community continues through the wonderful visitation of Helen Blanksby.

Pattie is pleased her family continue in the Christian faith. Robert became a Uniting Church Minister, and Callum and Katie are involved in Journey Uniting Church. Julia works for The Dream Centre in LA, and Erica is part of a C3 church.

Pattie’s advice to the family – and to anyone hoping to reach her age – is to keep the mind alert, play Scrabble and bridge, read and do crosswords, and have a glass of sherry at 5pm (you can see she wasn’t from the Methodist tradition!).

Pictured: Erica Iles, Pattie Iles and Lesley Cook.

Is your church celebrating a significant anniversary? Is someone in your congregation celebrating their 100th birthday? If you have photos and a short story, please feel free to share them with New Times to be published online.


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