After nine years of waiting - with many new members along the way - St Matthew's, Ashbury has come full circle and is once again a fully-fledged parish.
Ashbury was reclassified as a parish at the Sydney Anglican Synod on Tuesday " one of four provisional parishes being reclassified as parishes this year, three of which are in the rejuvenated South Sydney region.
"It's another sign of standing on your own feet as a church," says rector of St Matthew's, the Rev Peter Sholl.
St Matthew's has been in existence as a church since 1925, but amalgamated with St Andrew's, Summer Hill in 1997 after falling on hard times.
In January 2003 the Inner West Bible Fellowship, a congregation from St Matthias', Centennial Park which had been meeting in a local school hall was planted in St Matthew's.
After growing through a vibrant family and children's ministry under the leadership of Mr Sholl, Ashbury became a provisional parish almost two years ago to the day at Synod in 2004.
Mr Sholl says becoming a parish will help the church focus on its mission to its local suburb and networks.
"Encouragingly a lot of the growth has been from local suburban people coming into contact with us and we have seen a major growth in our kids work," he says.
"When we started as a Bible fellowship nine years ago we had three kids " now we have 45."
Adult attendance at the church's single 10am service has also increased with over 50 members regularly meeting together.
A new evening preaching group has also commenced on Sunday nights where Mr Sholl and half a dozen local Moore College and Sydney Missionary and Bible College students meet to practice giving sermons and share critiques.
Ashbury's new parish status is also a result of the financial viability of the ministry.
Media church makes leap
Annandale Anglican Church was also reclassified as a parish.
Senior minister Dominic Steele gave thanks for God's blessing to the ministry of the local congregation and the Christians in the Media network ministry.
"It's exciting that the ministry of the gospel is back and growing in the inner west of Sydney," Mr Steele says.
"It's exciting seeing people in the media and the inner-west come to Christ. Our reclassification as a parish is a symbolic statement that ministry in our area is on the way up."
More parishes to come
Two more provisional parishes will be reclassified as parishes at Synod tomorrow " Strathfield and Wilberforce.
Curate-in-charge of St Andrew's, Strathfield, the Rev Kevin Kim brought the Korean Bible Fellowship to the church three and a half years ago " also a congregation of St Matthias'.
"It revitalised the parish. The existing people in the parish were very positive towards the idea and embraced us," he says.
The church has since been brought out of its financial difficulties and runs three services " a morning prayer book service, an 11am Korean speaking service with over 80 people and a 3 pm evangelical fellowship with almost people attending.
"The main aim of our work was to reach out second and third generation Koreans, but we now attract people from other cultural backgrounds including Indonesians, Vietnamese and Egyptians," Mr Kim says.
Archdeacon of South Sydney Deryck Howell says not that long ago it was thought best to close or amaglamate the parishes of Annandale, Ashbury and Strathfield.
“The obstacles to proclaiming christ and a viable church life seemed insurmountable,” he says.
Now, while the obstacle to unbelief means the inner western churches are still ploughing a tough mission field, Archdeacon Howell sees a renewed confidence and growth in the region’s churches, particularly through the strength that networks such as the Inner West Bible Fellowship are bringing to local parishes.
“Thirty-eight new incumbents have come to our parishes in the last five years,” he says.
“God is working in many, many parishes in our region. Things are happening, God is changing things.”
Decade-long ministry to the Hawkesbury recognised
The Rev Geoff Bates, curate-in-charge of Wilberforce says the reclassification of the church as a parish is a recognition of their ministry to the Hawkesbury over the past decade.
"We have planted three congregations in that time " re-potted one in upper Colo, planted one in Glossodia, planted one in Arndell Anglican College which is now independent and we are planning to duplicate an evening service soon."
The church staff team has also grown since Mr Bates started in 1997. It has grown from having one full-time minister and one part-time assistant to now having four full-time paid workers.
"We are a parish with a vision for continuing growth and making an impact in our community," Mr Bates says.
The Synod reconvenes on Wednesday from 3.15pm in the Wesley Centre, Pitt Street. The agenda includes the Regions (Amendment) Ordinance 2006, Admission to Holy Communion (Adult Baptisands), a discussion concerning the Anglican Communion and the regular Missionary Hour session with guest speaker the Primate of South-East Asia, John Chew.
