Georges River Region: Churches face the cultural challenge

Webmaster | 25 June 2005

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It is a tough mission field in the multicultural region of the Georges River. Here Southern Cross continues its series on the new model of parish life cycles by looking at the parish of Belmore.

St Alban’s, Belmore is in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Sydney.

“It has been hard to reach out with the gospel when the Anglo population has been dwindling, with many ethnic groups growing at a rapid rate,” says the Rector of St Alban’s, the Rev Richard Nixey.

However, a vibrant ethnic congregation has given the parish growth of more than 15 per cent in the space of one Sunday. An Anglican Sudanese congregation of 30 adults and 15 children was meeting at St Andrew’s, Lakemba, but the church is without a full-time minister.

The parish of Belmore only covers costs with the assistance of rental income. Offertories are below the $100,000 line of viability and growth is less than five per cent per year, classifying it as an ‘E’ parish under the ‘Uluru’ model of church life cycles.
Excluding the recent transfer growth from the Sudanese congregation, the church has declined in numbers from having a congregation that is both aging and often transient.

“Half the parishioners are seniors. The growth of lower age groups has not kept up with the loss of older members through death or those going into nursing homes,” Mr Nixey says.

“There has also been a trend of students or people from overseas coming to the church then leaving when they move onto the next phase of life. We do not get a lot of nuclear families who are more likely to stay long term.”

However, the parish of Belmore has been active in the tasks of evangelism, discipleship and fellowship. While adult membership is in excess of 100 since the addition of the Sudanese congregation, the church has a healthy youth program headed up by youth minister, Steve Flanagan. The church also has active Kids Plus, GFS, Sunday School, Friday and Sunday night youth groups.

“We have explored many different methods of outreach over the years including a number of pre-evangelistic programs,” Mr Nixey explained.

We have held regular AFES and Moore College missions, carols in the park, family fun nights, a Purpose Driven Life program, evangelistic services and Alpha style dinners. We’ve tried it all,” Mr Nixey says.

The parish is proud of sending Adam Hotson to Youthworks College last year and Matthew Taylor and Cathy Harris to Moore College this year, all of whom became Christians at the church.

Mr Nixey adds that in recent months numbers at 9.30am and 6.30 pm have actually been growing.

“It is possible for a church in an area like Belmore to work very hard yet not see the fruit in terms of great numbers or a huge offertory as might be the case in some parts of Sydney,” Mr Nixey said. “Our task will be to continue to take initiatives – to be faithful, but leave the rest to God.”

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