Auburn Baptist members welcome these congregations
Those who worship at the Auburn Baptist Church facility are warmly welcomed
Auburn All Nations Church
Welcomed as a new congregation
Western District Chinese Christian Church
Ministry partner with Auburn Baptist Church
Sydney Nepali Church
Welcomed as a worshipping community
Sydney Wilderness Life Church
Welcomed as a worshipping community
Rock Worship Centre
Welcomed as a worshipping community
Auburn Baptist members are saddened and aggrieved by the Baptist Association's actions
Removal of full immersion baptism
The Baptism Pool was permanently covered under the Association's management. Full immersion baptism — a foundational Baptist practice — has not been available at the site since 2024, and the covering was found to be illegal by Cumberland City Council in May 2026.
Lies about the original Rebirth proposal
The Baptist Association claimed the Rebirth presentation was not the file produced by Ken Kamau and Jamie Freeman. File metadata directly contradicted this claim, confirming Jamie Freeman as author and Ken Kamau as the last person to modify the file — the same presentation used to secure the Auburn Baptist members' vote.
Public lies about the church closure
The Baptist Association falsely represented that Auburn Baptist members simply voted to close the church. In reality, members voted to adopt a Rebirth proposal — to join together with members of a church plant to form a new Baptist church in Auburn — not to close or dissolve.
Lies about the Transitional Leadership Team's role
The Association committed in writing that the Transitional Leadership Team would be equal partners in determining the new vision and leadership — then unilaterally disbanded the team with no consultation.
Misleading the Assembly Council — the Baptist Association's own board
The Assembly Council, which serves as the governing board of the Baptist Association, was falsely told that all Auburn Baptist members had relocated to other churches. The Council voted to close on the basis of this misinformation — a decision made by the Association's own board, informed only by the Association's own staff. Auburn Baptist Church had 25 active members as of December 2024 despite the Assembly Council vote.
Failure to provide pastoral care
Auburn Baptist members were not offered pastoral care or support at any point during or after the Rebirth process, nor were they invited to join any congregation at the Auburn facility.
Unlawful seizure of church assets and management
The Baptist Association accessed Auburn Baptist Church's bank accounts and withdrew all funds. Legal advice confirmed that:
Auburn Baptist Church had not legally closed as a result of the Rebirth vote — the vote did not constitute a closure of the church
The Baptist Association had no legal authority to assume management or control of Auburn Baptist Church's assets
The withdrawal of church funds was therefore unlawful
Refusal to conduct a Ministry Standards investigation
A Ministry Standards investigation was refused on the basis that Baptist Association staff, though ordained ministers, were acting in an employee capacity — not a ministry capacity — and therefore fell outside the scope of Ministry Standards accountability.
Auburn Baptist Church — Rebirth timeline
Key events from July 2022 to May 2026
Proposal & vote
Rebirth process
Direction change
Legal & dispute
Closure & outcome
July 2022
Rebirth proposal presented & voted on
Baptist Association (Church Multiplication Team, Ken Kamau) presents a Rebirth proposal via PowerPoint — two churches joining to form a new Baptist church in Auburn. File metadata shows Jamie Freeman (Baptist Association Associate Director) as author, last modified by Ken Kamau. Grae McWhirter (Baptist Association Strategic Support) presents the same proposal from the pulpit. Auburn Baptist Church members vote to adopt the proposal.
The Baptist Association also writes to Auburn Baptist Church confirming that the Auburn Baptist Transitional Leadership Team would be equal partners with the Baptist Association, collaboratively determining the new vision of the church and the new core leadership team in the relaunched church.
October 2022
Congregation relocates
Auburn Baptist Church ceases operations at the church premises. The congregation moves to the Auburn-Lidcombe Girl Guides Hall to continue fellowship while a Rebirth Transitional Leadership Team — comprising Auburn Baptist deacons and Ken Kamau — manages the process with a prospective church plant.
September 2022
Association requests church website statement
Ken Kamau writes to Auburn Baptist Church requesting that the following statement be posted on the church website:
"Auburn Baptist Church is still committed to ministry in Auburn and looking forward to renewed ministry soon."— Ken Kamau (Baptist Association), writing to Auburn Baptist Church
This written request affirms the Association's own expectation at this time that Auburn Baptist Church would continue and be renewed.
December 2022
Introductions made
Ken Kamau introduces Auburn Baptist to Sydney Wilderness Life Church for a joint worship service at the Auburn facility. Connections are also established between Auburn Baptist members and Westmead Baptist (church plant) members.
March 2023
Transitional team disbanded without consultation
Ken Kamau announces the disbanding of the Rebirth Transitional Leadership Team and a pivot to a new multi-church model — with no prior consultation of Auburn Baptist deacons or members.
This directly contradicts the July 2022 written commitment that the Transitional Leadership Team would be equal partners in determining the new vision and leadership of the relaunched church.
September 2023
Association disputes original proposal
Director of Ministries Steve Bartlett writes to Auburn Baptist acknowledging the multi-church model was not the original Rebirth proposal. He claims there was no fixed proposal to begin with and disputes the validity of the Ken Kamau PowerPoint presentation.
December 2023
Assembly Council votes to close misleading information
Assembly Council is misled into believing all Auburn Baptist members had dispersed and formally votes to close the church. Acting on this resolution, the Baptist Association gains access to Auburn Baptist bank accounts and withdraws all funds.
The church still had an active membership at this time. Under the Baptist Property Trust Act, fewer than 10 members are required for the Baptist Association to assume management — a threshold that was never met.
February 2024
Legal advice received key finding
Auburn Baptist receives legal advice that the Association's actions were unlawful, that the July 2022 member vote lacked sufficient legal basis, and that the claim the church had been closed since October 2022 was not legally valid.
2024
Multi-church model implemented
Sydney Nepali Church, Sydney Wilderness Life Church, and Rock Worship Centre are introduced into the Auburn facility alongside the existing Western District Chinese Christian Church (present since the early 2000s). Wilderness Life and Rock Worship later leave citing unsuitability.
Auburn Baptist Church members had no involvement in this model and were not invited to join any of the incoming congregations at the site.
September 2024
Metadata confirmed in meeting
An Auburn Baptist deacon meets with Steve Bartlett and Assembly Council Chair Allen Sibley. They review the original Rebirth presentation metadata, confirming Jamie Freeman as file author and Ken Kamau as last modifier.
December 2024
Final service & dissolution
Auburn Baptist Church holds its final Sunday service in Auburn and subsequently dissolves as a registered charity.
25
Members at time of dissolution
<10
Members required under the Baptist Property Trust Act for the Association to assume management
The membership threshold required under the Baptist Property Trust Act for the Baptist Association to lawfully assume management was never met at any point in this process.
March 2026
New congregation formed
The Baptist Association forms Auburn All Nations Church as the new English-speaking congregation at the facility, now referred to as the Auburn Baptist Ministry Centre.
Auburn Baptist Church members were not invited to participate in or join Auburn All Nations Church.
May 2026
Building works found illegal council ruling
Cumberland City Council finds that Baptist Association building works — including the constructed covering of the Baptism Pool — were illegal. Full immersion baptism has remained unavailable at the site since the cover was installed in 2024.