A clutch of missionaries poke their heads into the kitchens, bedrooms and other newly renovated spaces of a North Parramatta apartment block purchased by the Church Missionary Society NSW & ACT, chatting all the while.

“This was in the flat when we lived in Croydon [on a previous home assignment],” remarks retiring missionary to Argentina, Terry Blowes, pointing to a hall stand in a ground-floor apartment. 

After a good look around, she is enthusiastic. “It’s wonderful – I think I might apply to be a missionary!” she jokes. More seriously, sitting and considering the space around her a short while later, she adds: “This is a great provision of the Lord”.

Kids try the outdoor play equipment and dads discuss the size of a gum tree over the barbecue area. Cupboard space and practical inclusions are inspected, and the visitors stand on a balcony watching a light rail trundle past on its way to Parramatta city centre.

CMS NSW & ACT’s missions operation director Garry Dibley, who has spent weeks unpacking and placing new and old furniture, books, games and kitchen items, gives himself a moment to survey the almost-completed work. “We’re getting there,” he says. 

The reason behind the purchase

So, why did the organisation invest millions to buy and renovate a block of apartments?

Those who serve with CMS give up leases, sell furniture, cars and more before heading on to the mission field. So, in many ways, they don’t have a home to return to for the six months in every three years they live locally to visit partner churches, spend time among family and friends, and – hopefully – get some rest.

CMS has a number of houses and townhouses it has purchased or been given over the years, but these don’t always offer the right accommodation at the right time for family sizes that range from one to eight.

“The needs of our missionaries and their family circumstances weren’t well matched to our overall housing for them when they were back in Australia,” says the executive director of CMS NSW & ACT, the Rev Canon John Lovell. 

“In addition, the feedback from missionaries who had stayed in co-located properties [different townhouses within a larger complex] was very positive. They really enjoyed that opportunity for fellowship with like-minded people who just get the challenges of cross-cultural mission, being on location and the different issues of being on home assignment.

“So, increasing the number of options for people to be co-located with those who understand was a priority.”

The decision was made to sell a few of CMS’s existing properties and put the proceeds towards buying an apartment complex. After one potential purchase fell through, the organisation successfully bought 31 Galloway Street. North Parramatta – 11 two-bedroom apartments that, in God’s kindness, Canon Lovell says, turned out to be even better suited to their needs.

The subsequent multimillion-dollar renovation has included stripping out and rebuilding apartment interiors, upgrading plumbing and wiring, replacing the roof, adding solar panels and creating a combined outdoor area. Ground-floor apartments also have interconnecting doors so larger families can be accommodated more easily.

Canon Lovell notes that the purchase of 31 Galloway Street was only possible because of the generosity of previous generations – those who have property to CMS or funding to buy it. Now, he says, the current generation is being invited to give towards the cost of this new renovation.

The total is $8 million – half of which was provided by property sales. Friends of CMS have been giving since January and, by the time Southern Cross went to press, more than half the remaining funds had been raised, taking the total over $6.2 million.

Secure missionary “J”, who is heading to Eurasia next year with his wife and family, was full of praise for the location and the way CMS has shown care for its missionaries.

“What I find really impressive is how versatile the apartments are and how considerate [CMS has been],” he says. “You can tell the team has thought about how a family can live there for the short term as well as feel very much at home. It feels very generous but without being wasteful.”

Adds Canon Lovell: “It’s been a really positive and enthusiastic response – both from missionaries who are really excited to hear about it, and from the CMS fellowship who are excited by this expression of practical pastoral care.”

To find out more or to give to Project Galloway, see visit the website now.