Partner Agencies
Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT Property Trust
Paul Holding / Chair
The Baptist Property Trust fulfils an important legal role in the life of our churches, acting as owner of properties across the state. This is necessary because NSW Land & Property Information does not recognise churches for purposes of ownership.
Members of the Property Trust are elected by the Annual Assembly for terms of three years, on a rolling basis. Members presently comprise Mr Paul Holding, Burwood Church, Chairman; Mr David Evans, West Ryde Church, Secretary/Treasurer; Mr Richard Brading, Northern Life Church; Mrs Judith Carpenter, Ashfield Church; Mr Geoff Moore, Narwee Church; and Mr Mike Williams, Northside Church. In December 2023 Mrs Julia Zeinoun from Graceway Church was appointed to fill a casual vacancy. The Property Trust met formally on 6 occasions during the year, both face to face and by Zoom teleconference. We are grateful for the assistance of the Association of Baptist Churches who provide facilities for these meetings.
Responsibility for insurance of church properties rests with the local churches, as we do not have any funds from which to pay premiums. We note that several churches have suffered major damage in recent years, and the importance of maintaining adequate cover cannot be overstated.
Documents required for property transactions are examined by our solicitors to ensure they are authorised by the churches before being executed. Members of the Property Trust liaised with our solicitors to execute 45 documents on behalf of 27 churches. We are now using Messrs Toomey Pegg or C S Y Legal for all our legal work and churches are requested to liaise with our secretary for advice on which firm to use.
A number of churches have funds from the sale of property invested by the Property Trust, pending purchase of alternate property. These funds are mainly invested with Baptist Financial Services, thereby supporting their ministry to our churches.
Another part of our role which is becoming more prevalent in recent years is the submission of grant applications to various government bodies on behalf of our churches. Again this is owing to the lack of contractual ability of our churches to submit the applications. During the year our secretary has liaised with 12 churches to lodge 13 applications for some $310k. Some of these were declined and grants worth $206k are awaiting decisions. If approved the Property Trust then receives the grant funds, forwards them to the churches and attends to necessary reporting.
We look forward to continuing to serve our churches in the coming years.
Baptist Foundation of NSW Ltd
Graeme Mitchell, Matthew Duggan, Nigel Glasby, Steve Bartlett / Directors
The purpose of Baptist Foundation of NSW Limited is to serve the Association of Baptist Churches in NSW and ACT, and any benevolent, religious, educational, or missionary institution associated with the Association, via the administration of various trusts accepted by the Foundation. The number of Trusts administered by the Company or for which the Company has responsibility is 35. The purpose, terms, conditions, and size of the various Trusts administered by the Foundation vary significantly with the total funds invested by the Foundation approximately $2.2 million. The Foundation employs no staff and investing, accounting, administration, and legal work is performed by the volunteer directors.
Mr Ronald Cardwell resigned as director during the year and the board thanks him for his service over a significant period. Mr Graeme Mitchell, a previous Secretary of the Foundation, was appointed to the board – welcome back Graeme!
Membership
Membership of the Company is available to anyone who is a member of a Baptist Church affiliated with the Association of Baptist Churches in NSW and ACT, and who gives at least $50 by donation or subscription over a period of 4 years. Baptist churches who have given at least $250 by donation or subscription over not more than 5 years are eligible to nominate people to be members of the Foundation. Members of the Assembly Council of the Association of Baptist Churches in NSW and ACT are also eligible for membership without charge on application to the Company.
Baptist Historical Society of NSW & ACT
Alan Rice / President
This Assembly (2024) is the 50th Anniversary of the Baptist Historical Society, founded in 1974 at Morling College. Whilst life has moved on for foundation members, in those early days the focus was on interesting quarterly meetings, research work carried out by members who included Rev Ken Manley as he then was, Lorna Oliff, Herbert Watkin–Smith and Michael Petras.
With the Growth of the Society, files, records and books were passed onto the society archivist. In 1976 the archives were stored in a cabinet in the front office of Morling College. By 1978 a room was made available at the top of the lecture rooms, designated the Gow Room, and in it was a locked glass cabinet containing early records relating to Baptist life.
The first Baptist Society was formed in 1953 but only existed for a few years. It did produce a journal entitled “Churinga” with Ken Palmer as the editor. It was really the start of our collection as we know it. Some of the books from this first collection became part of our collection at Morling College in the late 1970s. With growth came the need for an active archivist. We will recognise those who have filled this role – Mr Norman Leeder (1974-77), Rev Frank Coan (1978-83), Rev Edward Archer (1983-97), Mr Ron Robb (1999-2012), Dr John Stanhope (2012-18) and in later years Ernest Windschuttel.
On 5th August 1999, a purpose-built facility was opened at Morling College through “a very generous gift from an anonymous donor.” The building was opened by the President of Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT, Rev Gerry Ball whose theme for the year was “Baptists which way? – Affirming our heritage – Facing the Future.” Present at the occasion were Rev Dr Ross Clifford, Rev Ron Rogers, Professor Peter Orlovich and Dr Bob Linder who commented on the occasion that “So many treasures are lost through neglect, and our self-understanding is consequently diminished.”
The facility has grown enormously over the past 25 years. NSW and ACT Baptist Churches have seen the benefit of placing their church records in a central independent facility that not only preserves them but allows access for historical reasons and if required, access under the National Redress Scheme.
(I am indebted to RL Cardwell, a founding member, for this information)
In 2023, the Archives continued to provide a service to Baptist organisations and Churches, receiving Church statutory records and histories, images, films and artefacts. The work of collating, recording, and storing the material for use has been undertaken by volunteers who have a desire to preserve a Baptist heritage. The Archives has valued the donations from anonymous benefactors who have the same desire to ensure that records are properly maintained, contributing to the cost of purpose built compactuses.
Archivist Ernest Windschuttel has produced a newsletter on articles and information on people and key events of interest received by the Archives. We receive articles that focus on general history of a church, about a key person in the life of our churches or about experiences in an individual’s life in touch with a Baptist provision (eg Life as a student in Flo Harris Lodge is a recent example).
The activities of the Baptist Historical Society were severely curtailed by the pandemic in 2020-2022 although in 2022 the society’s journal “The Recorder” was published and a joint lecture through technology was held. On this occasion Dr Ken Manley from Melbourne spoke on his research into the life of Thomas Elias Ruth, an outstanding pastor from England who came to Collins Street Church in Melbourne and later to the Pitt Street Congregational Church in Sydney. He was a controversial figure, writing publicly at a time when loyalty to the British Empire (during the First World War) and anti-catholicism were subjects of public discourse.
In 2022, a second lecture by zoom was presented on “Rev Reginald Kirby, Baptist Minister and Pulp Fiction Writer” by Ronald Cardwell. With an excellent background in Ancient and Medieval History, Kirby trained at Spurgeon’s College and came to Collins Street Baptist Church. In 1936 he was recognised as being a preacher of great passion and “of outstanding capacity.” He resigned from the pastorate in 1942 and became Chaplain to the Air Force.
Amongst other things he became a spy for the Australian Government as did a number of other clergy but writing became his passion and he reached the best seller’s list.
Barbara Coe’s lecture, “So much more than pouring the tea” provided insight into a cautiously radical new direction in Baptist Theological Education available to Morling College students during the war years. Prospective male candidates for the ministry in the late 1930s had not reached the educational standards required for College entrance so tutors with outstanding academic skills were engaged to assist.
Principal George Morling engaged tutors, all women, to conduct a preparatory prescribed course with an examination before presenting to the Applicants’ Committee. From 1937 to 1943, 75 students enrolled. Barbara described seven of the tutors, their backgrounds, roles and subsequent careers and ministries: Mary Louisa Bowie nee Grey (1903-90), Irene Harrington Doust (1897-1983), Heather Drummond (1902-86), Ruth Beatrice Gladwin (1917-2001), Florence Edith Small nee Hudson (1902-82), Elsa Irene Lowe (1913-96) and Alice Smith (1909-86). The women were all voluntary, all Baptists and all had degrees from the University of Sydney. Dr Bowie proved to be a creative and innovative project co-ordinator.
In September 2023, Dr Nicole Starling who had just taken on the role of Academic Dean at Morling College in addition to her position as lecturer in Church History, delivered a paper titled, “Elizabeth Saunders and the Kindness of God.” Nicole is a Vice President of the BHS.
The future work of the Historical Society and Archives will be affected by the planned property development at Morling College between 2024 and 2027. Negotiations are underway to allow the Archives to continue to support Baptist Churches whilst special arrangements will be made for Lectures and publications. We encourage those interested in Church history and in assisting the Historical Society to correspond directly with the Archivist Ernest Windschuttel or Pam Windschuttel so that they receive access to publications and information about activities occurring during the building development phase.
Many of the documents and artefacts will be moved off site. We will need volunteers to assist with preparation for the move and relocation. The work of volunteers concerns collating, recording and storing materials, and new volunteers will have the benefit of support and training. If you can give even a small amount of time you will be very welcome.
Later in 2024 we plan to inaugurate an annual lecture in honour of one of our great historians, Rev Alan Prior. This will be a great occasion for Baptists to show appreciation to those contributing to 50 years of the Archives and Society and to prepare for the next decade.
Finally, my thanks to the current hard-working executive who have committed their talents tirelessly in addressing the management of the system and dealing with practical issues.
I refer to Barbara Coe (Vice President), Ronald Cardwell (Secretary), Ernest Windschuttel (Archivist), Pam Windschuttel (Treasurer), Phil Dart and Dr John Stanhope (Committee Members) and Bruce Coe (whose timely comments assist when we need advice).
Baptist World Aid Australia
Melissa Lipsett / CEO Baptist World Aid Australia
We believe that God calls us to love our global neighbours and is at work in the world. As a Christian organisation, our faith motivates us. And we believe he has called us to end poverty so that all people may enjoy fullness of life as he intends. Thank you for joining us. It is with deep gratitude that we share some of the highlights of 2023.
It was inevitable that our world would emerge from the pandemic with the most vulnerable suffering the worst aftershocks. But we were all likely naïve about the possibility of emerging into a ‘polycrisis’ of severe and mutually reinforcing events and contexts. Devastatingly, the confluence of COVID, rising conflict, climate change and the escalation of inflation—in some cases occurring in previously relatively stable environments—now means that previous expectations that we would eliminate extreme poverty and end hunger by 2030 seem unlikely.
In such times as these, the work of our local Christian Partners is of heightened importance. We thank God for this work over this last financial year—resulting in 781,528 lives impacted through our international programming initiatives.
We are a global community of people, doing great work, on a foundation of great faith. To God be the glory!
Together, we’ve helped over 781,528 people in 24 countries, working with 37 local Christian Partners across 68 projects impacting 3,984 local communities and 73,062 households.
We continue to invest in children across all areas of our programming. With your support, we were able to reach a total of 314,332 children this financial year.
We supported 35 Christian Partner organisations, implementing quality community development programming.
We supported the organisational development of our local Christian Partners in financial sustainability, increasing gender equality, disability and social inclusion, and strengthening child safeguarding.
8,254 households now with access to financial services.
8,590 households reporting an increase in their household income.
3,070 people particularly the vulnerable and marginalised, overcoming barriers (including social, physical and legal) to gain access to services.
Fadia’s Story:
Born into a loving but disadvantaged family in Lebanon, Fadia’s earliest memories give insight into the life of a child living in poverty.
‘My parents didn’t have the means to buy us gifts,’ she said. ‘I used to follow another child around to play with her toys, but then she realised and began to hide them so I couldn’t play with them anymore.’
The Dom are an ethnic minority who now live permanently in makeshift camps where they face extreme poverty and marginalisation. They are frequently the subject of taunts and discrimination, as many in the Middle East regard them as uncivilised.
Today, Fadia lives in a large camp on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. Like most of her neighbours, she was born and raised in Lebanon, but does not have Lebanese citizenship. Neither Fadia nor her husband have paperwork and without this, they have limited access to gainful employment, healthcare, education, and humanitarian assistance.
For Fadia and her family, this meant they often did not have enough money to cover their most basic expenses, like meals.
‘Each month, we found ourselves going into debt,’ she said. ‘We would take food on credit from the local grocery shop.’
Additionally, the social stigma of being Dom made the children’s primary school experience horrific. Cruel insults and physical abuse were a daily occurrence for Fadia’s children, Khalil and Mahina.
‘I couldn’t let them go through this any longer,’ Fadia said, ‘so they dropped out and missed out on a number of years of schooling as a result.’
But today, life is very different now for Fadia, thanks to sewing.
Our local Christian Partner places emphasis on empowering people through training, rather than seeking to solve problems for participants. After meeting our Partner, Fadia took up an offer of training and work in our Partner’s sewing collective. It changed her life.
‘Not only do my new skills earn me a vital income for my family, but also working as a seamstress has given me a sense of purpose and control,’ she said.
Fadia has been able to pay of her debts, and patch holes in her roof and door to keep the rain and rats out of her home. And she’s doing it with her own earnings. But what she’s most happy about is the change in her children. Our local Partner runs their own school, and welcomed Samar and Hala, aged ten and eight, so they could experience a safe and joyful learning environment. Fadia is thrilled to see them happy and learning.
As a ministry of the Baptist Church, we deeply value our partnership with Baptist churches around Australia. This year, we’ve travelled to meet with many of these communities to encourage one another to be ambassadors for Christ—to act, pray and give as, together, we participate in restorative justice.
Bedford College
Kathy Monro / Chair
Steve Dixon / CEO
In 2023 Bedford College celebrated our 80th year of equipping people with vocational skills, education, and training for lives serving the community, foundered in a Christian worldview.
For those who are unaware of the details of our history, it was in 1942 at the Annual Assembly of the Baptist Union of NSW that approval was given for the amended Baptist Forward Movement Plan proposal to provide £532 in order to set up a Business College. The proposal was made because the committee felt it was preferable for a girl wishing to become a secretary to make the transition from secondary school to the workforce through a Church oriented educational College. On 17 September 1943, the Baptist Business College was incorporated and filled a need in the availability of secretarial training through state schools and colleges. Over the years Bedford has adjusted its training offerings in light of its mission and changing needs in society – with the addition of a Children’s Services courses to the scope of registration in 2006, Diploma of Community Services courses (2017), TAE courses (2018), and most recently Education Support, Individual Support (Ageing), and Aged Care. We have a proud heritage and one that we are proactively building upon.
Early 2023, Bedford College farewelled its former CEO Stephen Moynan. We take this opportunity to thank Stephen for his contribution to the life of Bedford College during this challenging period.
June 2023 saw the appointment of a new Chief Executive in Rev. Steve Dixon. Steve has served as part of our Baptist family of churches in local church (Gymea) and Association roles overseeing the youth and young adult work across NSW and ACT, for two decades. He brings not only strong connections with our Baptist churches, but a passion for education and empowering people to fulfil God’s plans for their lives.
At the end of 2023 we graduated 56 students, in 8 courses, from 9 different countries. We were pleased to be able to present student awards in partnership with Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT, Baptist Financial Services, Baptist World Aid Australia, BaptistCare NSW & ACT, and Morling College.
As we turn our attention to the future, we will be seeking to expand our training offerings and build strategic partnerships with Baptist churches and agencies in particular, along with para-church organisations, Christian schools, industry, those located around the Norwest campus, as well as further afield.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve Bedford and our wider Baptist family in this way. We are thankful to the Board of Directors and to the staff team for their commitment, dedication, encouragement, and willingness to embrace change.
We believe Bedford College is in a unique position to be used by God for His purposes and are truly excited about God’s future at Bedford and for what He has in store.
Morling College
Angelo Gratsounas / Chair, Morling Council Board
Ross Clifford / Principal (Concluded 30 June 2023)
Tim MacBride / Principal (Commenced 1 July 2023)
2023 was a landmark year for Morling College, with Ross Clifford concluding as Principal after 26 years in the role. In June, the College took the opportunity to farewell Ross and acknowledge the enormous contribution he has made to the growth, mission, and reputation of the College. Ross has taken up a role as the Executive Director of the NSW Council of Churches, where he continues his advocacy work with government and in the media. He has also been serving as interim pastor at Castle Hill Baptist Church.
In July, Tim MacBride succeeded Ross as Morling’s eighth Principal, after more than 15 years on the Bible and Theology faculty. Being home grown, both as a student and lecturer, Tim represents a change that is “generational, not directional,” as he put it. He continues Morling’s commitment to a strong and respectful evangelical ethos, the equipping of the whole believer in an educational model which is transformative, and the valuing of each person’s call to serve God in a variety of ways.
Tim is supported by a talented and experienced leadership team, with Chief Operating Officer, Peter McCrindle and Chief Administrative Officer, Kerry Puzey overseeing the business operations, and Vice-Principals Gayle Kent (Students & Community) and David Starling (Academic) overseeing the learning communities on both Sydney and Perth campuses, as well as online.
Morling College Initiatives and Updates
Goals & Strategies
A key priority in 2023 was in the area of marketing and recruitment, given the decline in the theological education sector being experienced across the Western world. In the final quarter of the year, all Morling staff were mobilised and equipped to be “all in” on recruitment, giving them the tools to be able to promote and explain all three faculties. The Baptist Association invited Tim to address the November Assembly, encouraging churches to grapple with the challenge of raising up the next generation of pastors and leaders. The College also continued to embed its new Customer Relationship Management software (see 2022 report), increasing capacity to recruit, enrol, and care for students. Early signs have been encouraging, with twice as many prospective students attending November open nights than in previous semesters; enrolments in Bible and Theology have stabilised; and there have been numerous anecdotal reports of churches working towards sending and funding new students. Please continue to pray for this crucial area for our denomination as we work towards the Gen1K vision.
Other priorities include:
- Seeking to partner more closely with the Baptist Association in all forms of training, not just tertiary education. A joint working group is looking at opportunities for collaboration.
- Increasing the number of women in senior academic roles. In 2023, a scholarship encouraging females to pursue a research degree, named after Morling’s first female student, Effie Baldwin. Nicole Starling was also appointed as Academic Dean and Gayle Kent named as Morling’s first female Vice-Principal.
- Ensuring the long-term financial position of the College by taking necessary budgetary steps to reduce the operating deficit and commencing the next stage of the Sydney campus property development, in partnership with the Baptist Association.
- Reestablishing strong links between the Perth Campus and Baptist churches in WA.
- Continuing to participate in advocacy for churches and Christian organisations, currently around the ability to employ staff who adhere to the organisation’s faith statement and to teach according to its values. Morling, through its membership of the Australian Christian Higher Education Alliance, contributed to the establishment of the inaugural Faith-Based Higher Education Summit, attended by both the Minister and Shadow Minister for Education. Comments left us cautiously encouraged, but we await the introduction of legislation in the coming months.
Malyon Merger
In July 2023, the College was approached by Queensland Baptists (QB) to consider a merger with Malyon Theological College, in light of Morling’s successful merger with Vose Seminary in 2021. Consolidation in the theological sector is becoming inevitable, as all providers face the economic pressure of lower enrolments and increasing regulatory costs. This move would give Morling the opportunity to expand its programmes into Queensland, while ensuring that the Baptist movement in that state has a viable denominational college in which to train its leaders. Morling and QB signed a Heads of Agreement document in May 2024, paving the way for the colleges to merge in January 2025.
Bible and Theology
Our Bible and Theology team experienced a significant transition in mid-2023 when Tim MacBride concluded in the role of Faculty Dean and commenced as Principal of the College, handing back the role of Faculty Dean to David Starling. (For other changes, see “Faculty appointments and farewells,” below.)
During 2023, the Bible and Theology faculty continued to work in close partnership with local churches and the Baptist Association teams in NSW/ACT and WA to provide flexible pathways and thorough training and equipping for evangelists, church planters, and pastoral leaders, as well as for people in a wide variety of different contexts and vocations who wish to integrate biblical faith with the issues of daily life and work.
One manifestation of that partnership was the launch in 2023 of our new IMPACT Gap Year program, developed and delivered in close collaboration with the NSW/ACT Baptist Youth Ministries team. We were greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of the first Gap Year cohort and the dedication of the team overseeing the programme. We were also delighted to receive news in early 2024 of a successful grant application to the Vincent Fairfax Foundation for seed funding to assist us in promoting and expanding that programme across the next three years. Please pray for Rachel Stuhr and Will Richards as they lead the programme, and for the students in the 2024 cohort.
Counselling, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care (CCSC) and Professional Supervision
Our CCSC faculty continued to demonstrate growth across 2023, with an increase in student numbers engaging in all three discipline areas. Graduates of our Counselling, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care, and Professional Supervision awards continue to secure positions in community organisations, churches, hospitals, aged care, and private practice, providing much needed support to others.
A highlight of 2023 was the successful launch of CCSC in Perth, with a number of units being delivered on-campus in Perth across both semesters. It became evident during 2023 that permanent faculty members would need to be appointed in Perth in order to continue the growth and development in WA; early 2024 saw the realisation of this, with the appointment of a Perth-based Associate Dean and Counselling lecturer (see “Faculty appointments,” below).
In addition to normal workloads, throughout 2023 CCSC staff and faculty were hard at work reviewing and updating all existing units in our Counselling, and Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care courses in preparation for re-accreditation. The November 2023 meeting of the Morling College Academic Board approved the delivery of these updated courses, and at the time of this report, we are awaiting the receipt of approval or otherwise of Morling College’s application for Self-Accrediting Authority. This will inform next steps in terms of submission of documentation to TEQSA for review.
Education
In 2023, the Education faculty continued delivery of the Master of Education and Master of Education (Leadership). The latter was by far the most popular, with 90% of our postgraduate students enrolled in this course. Emerging and existing leaders in Christian schools benefit from our rigorous and well-supported academic learning experience and we continue to receive positive feedback from all students.
Our Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme launched in Semester 1, 2023, with 17 students in the initial cohort. Our ITE coordinator, Cherie Macchuisi, has been highly effective in recruiting students and building partnerships with individual Christian schools and school networks. At the beginning of 2024 we can confirm that 47 students are now enrolled in the programme, which seeks to embed students in Christian schools to be mentored and formed in community, while they study with our course delivery partner, Christian Heritage College.
We continue to seek more opportunities to promote ITE and our postgraduate degrees in Baptist churches, where many Christian teachers, current and future, can be found.
Indigenous Advisory Panel
Our Indigenous Advisory Panel met again in 2023 and continues to provide valuable insight and direction in the areas of curriculum development, student engagement, and culturally informed support. In 2024 we were able to offer our first scholarship for First Nations students studying Bible and Theology in WA: the Vose Aboriginal Scholarship, funded through the Minnie Bairstow Trust. While we had no recipients for Semester 1, 2024, we are hopeful that this will lead to increased partnership with churches and communities in WA and open new possibilities in NSW and ACT in the future.
Faculty Appointments and Farewells
As well as the change of Principal noted above, over the past year Morling has welcomed several new teaching faculty members: Gillian Dixon (Associate Dean of CCSC, Perth), Emma Wylde (Lecturer in Counselling, Perth), Christine Mao (Lecturer in Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care), Shelley Fairgrieve (Lecturer in Counselling, Sydney), and Dr Andrew Dunstan (Lecturer in Christian Thought, Sydney).
Some existing faculty also added new roles: Dr Nicole Starling, Lecturer in Church History, was appointed to the role of Academic Dean; Dr Lloyd Porter, Associate Dean of Bible & Theology in Perth; was appointed as Perth Campus Director; and Dr Michael O’Neil has been appointed as Dean of Strategic Relationships (WA).
During 2023 we farewelled our Sydney-based lecturer in Pastoral and Practical studies, Keith Mitchell. We are grateful for Keith’s many years of faithful service and wish him well in his new role as the Leadership Program Director at the School of Professional Practice (University of Divinity). We also said goodbye to Dr Matthew Andrew, lecturer in Christian Thought and with Morling Online, as he moved to Tasmania to take up a new role in mediation.
On the Perth campus, we farewelled Dr Aaron Chidgzey, a valued member of the Perth faculty and Online team, who has taken a role as Project Manager with Avenir Leadership Institute; along with Dr Brian Harris, former Principal of Vose Seminary, who continues in his role as Director of Avenir. Both Aaron and Brian will continue to lecture at Morling in an adjunct capacity.
2023 Events
- Sand Play Therapy Workshop – March, Sydney Campus; July, Perth Vose Campus
- Graduation – March
- Spiritual Warfare Forum – June
- Annual Tinsley Lecture – May, Sydney Campus
- 60 Years of Vose Celebration – June
- Creative Resources in Chaplaincy and Supervision – July, Perth Vose Campus
- Faith + Work Seminar – August, Sydney Campus
- Children’s Ministry Webinars – Various Dates
- Gender Dysphoria Seminars – Various Dates
- SCEG (Scholarly Christian Educators Gatherings) – Various Dates
- Mental Health First Aid – Various Dates
- Open Nights – Various Dates
- Research Seminars – Various Dates
Graduation
Graduation has always been a highlight for our denominational year. There were two graduation services in 2023, one at each of our campuses in Perth and Sydney, with 170 students graduating across all faculty areas.
Upcoming Events in 2024
- Graduation – March 18 (Sydney) and March 21 (Perth)
- Preaching Skills Day (Jesus Take the Wheel) – 13 May, Perth Campus
- Annual Tinsley Lecture – 13 May, Sydney Campus
- Preaching Conference (Authentic Preaching in an Artificial Age) – 24 June
- 50 Year Celebration of Education Offerings – October
- SCEG (Scholarly Christian Educators Gatherings) – Various Dates
- Open Nights – Various Dates
- Research Seminars – Various Dates
Morling College Council/Board Participants
Directors (as at November 2023): Rev Matthew Arkapaw (Deputy Chair), Lonni Aylett, Helen Blanch, Rev Dr Graeme Chatfield, Dr Sylvia Collinson, Rev Angelo Gratsounas (Chair), Rev James Kim, Dr Beverley Moore, Rev Paul Mosiejczuk, Adjunct Professor William Peirson, Rev Dr Brian Powell, Rev Karen Siggins (Deputy Chair), and Stephen Welsh.
Others Attending: Rev Dr Stephen Bartlett (Director of Ministries), Geoff Moore (Legal Advisor), Peter McCrindle (Board Secretary), and Rev Dr Tim MacBride (Principal).
The Morling College Board met 7 times in 2023. In addition, the Directors participated in regular subcommittee meetings to oversee academic matters, property development, finance, residential accommodation, risk management and human resources.
Morling Foundation and Property
Morling College is grateful for the shared vision and income contributions of the Morling Foundation and Morling Residential College (MRC). This income allows Morling to continue to subsidise the cost of study for students while providing a quality service. We are pleased that MRC is again at capacity, with students drawn from 25 different nations.
The Morling Foundation is a separate charity (with oversight from the College and the Association) which exists to manage gifts, bequests, and property development proceeds to provide a vital income stream for college operations and initiatives. It also helps to fund property development initiatives which will provide additional funds to the College (and Baptist Churches NSW/ACT) when completed. The Morling Foundation’s 2023 Financial Reports, including the Directors’ report, is provided separately to the Baptist Churches’ Annual Assembly.
During 2023 The College and Foundation Boards agreed to proceed with a joint development on the Macquarie Park Campus known as “Macquarie Rise.” Construction is planned to begin in August 2024 and be completed by the end of 2026. The College Campus will be upgraded and some retained assets (residential, retail, and commercial) in the new building will replace some lost spaces as well providing a necessary rental income stream for both the College and Association to continue to cover ministry costs.
