The Newcastle Anglican Diocese says it has no plans to sell the historic St Clement's Church at Camberwell despite having offloaded more than 50 church properties in the past decade.
St Clement's, the Hunter's second oldest church, was built in 1843 and consecrated in 1855.
Of equal significance is the adjoining cemetery which is the final resting place for numerous Hunter pioneers and their descendants.
An arson attack forced the closure of the church in 2008.
The site's future has been subject to ongoing speculation that it could be sold off to a mining company.
However, Bishop Peter Stuart told the Newcastle Herald that the diocese had no interest in selling the property.
"There are no plans for St Clement's on the table at this time," he said.
"It is surrounded by an important cemetery; just in the past few weeks a memorial was blessed in that space.
"It's an important piece of stewardship for us and that community to honour what we do there."
The Herald reported earlier this month that the diocese had sold 50 properties worth about $34 million in the past decade in an effort to shore up its financial position.
While significant portion of the sales had been reinvested back into new properties and into a long-term ministry and mission fund, other proceeds had been used ensure the diocese was able to meet its ongoing commitments to the National Redress Scheme, established by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
"We are also making sure we have the resources there moving forward into the future," Bishop Stuart said.
"We will continue to see some property sales of church buildings in that regard in a careful and planned manner."
Parishioners who fought to have St Clement's restored and reopened took their case to the former head of the Anglican Church in Australia Dr Phillip Aspinall.
However, Dr Aspinall said he was powerless to intervene.
''While I recognise the significance to you of St Clement's, under the Constitution (1962) I have no power to investigate or alter the decision to close the Church,'' he wrote in 2012.
''Decisions of diocesan bodies, such as Property Approvals Boards, are solely a matter for the diocese.''
Among those fighting to have St Clement's reopened was Roy Smith, who died in 2012 aged 96.
He was buried in the church cemetery according to his wish.
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