The new Clutha Valley Community Church was officially opened yesterday.
Clutha Valley Presbyterian Church building committee chairman Graeme Steel said one parishioner had described the building as the "prodigal church" which had returned to its rightful place in the township.
The building made headlines in May after it was taken by truck and trailer on a 550km detour through Central Otago and Southland to reach its destination instead of the 26km trip from Balclutha to Clydevale.
The 58-tonne rig transporting the church was too heavy to cross the weight-restricted Clydevale bridge. Instead, it had to detour through Outram, Middlemarch, Central Otago, Queenstown and Gore.
The church, built by Big River Homes in Balclutha, languished in Cromwell for more than a week due to fog and the need to use the truck for other removal jobs.
The church-moving permits had by then expired and needed to be renewed, and a cold snap during this time did not help matters.
The church arrived at its Manse St site on June 7, drawing a crowd as it was manoeuvred into place. The new building is the third on the Clydevale site.
The Clutha Valley parish had been using a small church at Tuapeka Mouth and an old post office at Clydevale for the past two years after selling its old church to Te Anau Lodge.
Mr Steel said the congregation had been working towards a bigger and newer building since the late 1960s when it was suggested they begin raising funds for a central church.
At that time, the parish had five small churchesSouthern Presbytery moderator Selwyn Yeoman led the worship service yesterday.
It was followed by the building's dedication.
