Round one to Smithfield Rd - now real battle begins

Madeleine Collins | 3 July 2006

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Parish in focus: SMITHFIELD ROAD ANGLICAN CHURCH

From every nation to the south-west
The 2001 census found that in the Liverpool local government area 43.5 per cent of people speak a language other than English – the fifth highest in NSW. With over 100 different nationalities within the parish boundaries, the church is keen on reaching more people groups.The parish currently shares its facilities with an independent Vietnamese evangelical church.

Amalgamations form a new church
The parish has been formed as a result of two amalgamations – first with Canley Heights in 1997 to form St John’s Park with Canley Heights. More recently, it merged with St James’, Smithfield. It was a church without a minister that had declined in attendance but which held committed parishioners keen to see ministry continued. The church is looking for ways to re-pot a congregation into the heritage-listed St James’ building – the second oldest Anglican church in the area – which is currently used for some youth group gatherings and weddings.

More Scripture teachers needed
With some of the largest high schools in the State, it is not surprising that rector Ted Brush says, “We don’t have enough Scripture teachers for all the classes in all of the schools”. The church is working with the Anglican churches in Fairfield and Cabramatta and two local Baptist churches to fund a full-time Scripture teacher.

With a David and Goliath legal victory behind them, a south-west Sydney church is now focused on winning 1,000 believers.

The church and the Diocese recently won a case against oil giant ExxonMobil to get a piece of parish land at Canley Vale cleaned of contamination following a service station that had been on the property.

The parish spent $40,000 on legal fees and many years fighting its case.

“Here we had a little parish in south-west Sydney taking on one of the largest corporations in the world,” Mr Brush said.

“Yet God provided for us.”

Now the parish is looking forward to getting on with the most important task of all.

On Smithfield Road lies the Nineveh Club, its date palms proudly displaying its Assyrian heritage.

Down the street is Smithfield Road Anglican Church, its people committed to sharing the good news with multicultural south-west Sydney.

Rector Ted Brush says his church is keen to reach more Assyrians in the area – ‘we could be the church of Jonah’, he jokes – but with more willing evangelists than the reluctant prophet.

“Demographically, this is an amazing area,” says Mr Brush, a former McDonalds executive, who sees a desire to reach this and other people groups as part of a renewed mission focus within the parish.

Only one per cent of people within its boundaries are currently in a Bible-believing church.

The church has recently set itself an aim of having a membership of 1,000 believers by 2015, with six staff pastoring six congregations.

Regular training sessions on topics such as the Two Ways to Live course, resolving conflict and one-on-one evangelism are run for church members, and people are encouraged to invite their friends and family to once-a-term evangelistic events.

Assistant minister Cameron Griffiths was employed this year and a Moore College graduate has accepted another position from 2007. The church also hopes to employ a youth pastor next year.

“It’s really good to be talking about the mission [but] the thing that excites me is seeing people’s lives changed,” Mr Brush says.

“Seeing husbands getting saved and reading the Bible to their kids – it just happens one life at a time.”

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