A Faith Journey

Words and photo supplied by Colin Lynch

In 1989, a few Chinese students started to attend the struggling Northcote Baptist church. Rev Ken Wade encouraged them by providing translation of the sermons through headphones, English literacy classes and Bible studies. Some of the students were invited to live in a flat at the rear of the church and this was the beginning of an amazing transformation of the Northcote church.

As the students continued to meet with the English church, they also started holding separate meetings on Sunday afternoons to study the Scriptures in Mandarin and encourage their Chinese friends to join them. By 1995, this Chinese Fellowship had grown to between 40 and 50 people. Under the leadership of Pastor Daniel Zhang, there were many baptisms. Special retreats and teaching meetings were organised to help the new believers grow. Christian family groups were organised and over 50 people attended a Christmas camp.

Friday night Bible studies, prayer meetings, family visits and basic Christian education was being provided. In 1998, they started reaching out, supporting mission work in China and leaders’ training programs. Three of their number were studying at the Bible College of Victoria.

In 2001, the Chinese group was exploring ways for its church to become a fully constituted body. In August of that year, a meeting was arranged with representatives of the Baptist Union to discuss the possibility of the Chinese congregation being accepted as a Baptist Fellowship. They voted in favour of this move and were welcomed into the Baptist family on 13th October 2001.

The next step was to decide whether to become a separate church or be part of an existing church. Following discussion with the English church under the guidance of Rev Andrew Woff, both groups decided to enter into talks with the aim of eventually becoming one united Baptist church.

In February 2002, Pastor Joseph Chang was inducted into pastoral leadership of the Chinese church. In 2004, Pastor Colin Howlett returned to his ‘home’ church to minister to the English congregation and in 2005 Pastor John Tan also joined the pastoral team. Under their leadership and after years of discussions, meetings and planning between the two groups, there is now a united, vibrant and growing church of more than 200 people.

In 2010, the English and Chinese divisions have become one church with a new leadership and new constitution. At a recent combined service to celebrate this historic event, the English group stood, and in unison, welcomed their Chinese brothers and sisters into the fellowship; acknowledging with deep gratitude God’s guidance; praying that both groups might grow in the knowledge and love of Christ; labouring together for God’s glory and the extension of His kingdom.

The Chinese group responded to the welcome, affirming their joy and thanksgiving in the oneness of fellowship. They prayed for a new era of combined witness, growth, and the building up of one another in the faith. This was followed by the Chinese choir singing an anthem, ‘Praise Ye the Father’. The young people, including instrumentalists and singers, presented John Peterson’s challenging gospel song, ‘Jesus is coming again’. Everyone was given a pen engraved with the Chinese words ‘God loves the World’ and ‘Northcote Baptist church’ in English.

With gratitude to God, the congregation sang ‘Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love’ in the two languages … gratitude that under ONE LORD, there is now ONE CHURCH to present ONE WITNESS to the people of Northcote and surrounding areas.