Auburn Baptist Church expresses our deepest gratitude to all our members, friends, and the community for your unwavering support over the past 136 years. Your dedication, faith, and service have been the foundation of this church, allowing us to grow in faith, serve the wider Auburn area, and spread God’s love. As we approach the conclusion of this chapter, we reflect on all that God has accomplished through the Auburn Baptist Church since 1888. On 31 December 2024, our church will finish its ministry with forty-five parishioners.
We are incredibly honoured by the churches we have helped plant, including Lidcombe-Berala Baptist Church, Regents Park Baptist (now Heartbeat Church), Chester Hill Baptist Church, Blacktown Baptist Church, Liverpool Baptist Church, and East Hills Baptist Church. Additionally, we established the Auburn Christian Preschool and was a founding member of the Auburn Christian Churches network (for pastors, prayer, and community events) – both vital ministries impacting many children and families in our community. These achievements highlight the faithfulness of those who have been part of Auburn Baptist Church over the years.
However, we are deeply disappointed by the Baptist Association’s decision to abruptly terminate the revitalisation of Auburn Baptist Church in 2023. Additionally, the Baptist Association’s active blocking of Baptist congregations seeking to relaunch a new Baptist church in Auburn including some Auburn Baptist members is another setback. Joint revitalisation would have allowed us to continue our mission and serve effectively.
We also wish to correct the false claims made by the Baptist Association in 2022, which stated that Auburn Baptist Church had dispersed and ceased all ministries. These claims are untrue. In accordance with the Baptist Property Trust Act, we have continued to meet regularly at another community space in Auburn for worship and service. Despite the Baptist Association’s motion claiming that Auburn Baptist Church had closed, our ministries (including an Intercultural Women’s Sewing Group) remain active as of December 2024.
We are saddened by the Baptist Association’s support for the removal of access to the water baptistry pool (undertaken by one of the two tenants now renting the church building from the Baptist Association; both are non-Baptist Churches), resulting in no further baptisms by immersion. This is a major loss to the ministry life of the church and community.
It is concerning that the Baptist Property Trust Act 1984 appears to have been misapplied by the Baptist Association in relation to Auburn Baptist Church. While we have sought legal advice to support the understanding of our position, we have never undertaken any court action, as we had faith in Ministry Standards, Assembly Council, and the Baptist Property Trust to resolve this issue and concerns regarding Baptist Association employee (accredited ministers) conduct. We have always sought a Biblical resolution in good faith, hoping to resolve the matters with the Baptist Association, Assembly Council, and Baptist Property Trust in a way that honours God and preserves our Christian mission through a revitalised Auburn Baptist Church.
Our attempts to have multiple Code of Ethics and Conduct concerns addressed through Ministry Standards have been met with a response indicating Baptist Association employees (who are accredited ministers) were acting in an operational capacity regarding Auburn Baptist (as opposed to a regular ministry context); hence there is no breach of Ministry Standards. Additionally, our concern regarding the involvement of an Assembly Council member (subject to a complaint for mismanagement of a pecuniary conflict of interest) has received a response from such individual claiming that the matter is not worthy of investigation.
We also have serious reservations about the Baptist Association commitment to Creating Safe Spaces as Ministry Standards deems the mismanagement of Safe Church records (by Baptist Association employees) only to be an operational issue (but not misconduct or a breach of the Code of Ethics and Conduct). It is disappointing that the Baptist Association and Assembly Council are held to a lesser standard than a church pastor. This raises fundamental questions about accountability in the Baptist Association and its leadership.
Considering these developments, we call for an urgent external investigation into any instances of misconduct, conflicts of interest, and the ultimate Baptist Association failure to meet its commitment of pastoral care. We believe that the actions of the Baptist Association, Assembly Council, Ministry Standards, Balance Ministry Services, and the Baptist Property Trust have harmed the wider Baptist community, and we believe urgent accountability is necessary.
Despite these challenges, we remain deeply grateful for the support of those who have stood with us. Your prayers, service, and contributions have sustained us, and together, we have made a lasting impact on Auburn. As we approach the end of this chapter, we trust in God’s plans for our future, knowing His work will continue.
We earnestly pray for the future of intercultural Baptist and Christian ministry in Auburn and further into the Cumberland Council area. May God continue to raise local leaders who will carry His message with love, humility, and courage.
With deepest appreciation and gratitude,
Auburn Baptist Church
31 December 2024
Read more about the original Baptist Association revitalisation plans for Auburn Baptist Church.