After years of sharing buildings and through generous sacrifice, several flourishing BUV churches originating from Myanmar, have recently moved into their own new church buildings, or have purchased land or premises to expand into their own space. Christian Financial Services (formerly known as Baptist Financial Services) has worked alongside these churches as they follow God’s lead in these new ventures.
Melbourne Chin Church (left) held a dedication service for their new building at Deanside on May 27, with representation from Australian Chin community leaders. Their journey to their new home began back in 2010 when they purchased the land. Since that time, they have overcome hurdle after hurdle, supported by Christian Finance and a faithful team of architects and project managers each step of the way. The joyful celebration included the cutting of a ribbon at the front door, an uplifting message from a guest speaker from Myanmar, and 68 choir members from Adelaide singing praises for God’s provision and faithfulness.
In Ravenhall, Australian Zophei Church (right) opened a brand new, state-of-the-art building last year with seating capacity for 400, a ping-pong arena and two volleyball courts. The church started in a garage with four families and 18 members in 2011, and it is now a congregation of around 130. The church partnered with Christian Finance to purchase the land in 2013, paid off this loan in 2016, and has moved forward with another loan from Christian Finance to develop the new facility. Pastor Andrew Sawmhal said: “Our story is a real testament to the goodness of God with the build being completed in under a year – much faster than expected. Now our focus is to pass the leadership of the church, and this amazing new facility, onto the next generation to steward and grow.”
Australia Zotung Church (Middle) had been meeting at St Mark’s Anglican Church in Spotswood for their services since 2012 but the congregation had grown from 100 to 150 members, with around 45 children in the Sunday School. After years of searching for a more permanent place of worship, the church purchased a property in Melton with Christian Finance providing 60 percent of the funding. Now, they are working on securing permits and transforming the space from a gym into a place of worship. They dedicated their new building on June 1, and they hope renovations will be complete later this year.
Werribee Karen Baptist Church recently received approval from VCAT to build a place of worship, catering for 250 people, on their two-acre block in Little River. The plan had been declined by The City of Greater Geelong as the land was zoned for farming, but VCAT overturned this decision based on the use being too small for agricultural use, approving the use for a church. Plans include a modest-sized building screened by established greenery, and a potential market garden.