“Your annual gift – along with the prayers and support of parishes and individuals across Sydney – is such a significant blessing!” said the Bishop of the Bathurst, Mark Calder, as he updated Sydney’s Synod on the fruit of the partnership between both dioceses. “It eases the financial pressures on parishes and frees resources for gospel work. We are so deeply thankful.” 

In 2018, the Sydney Diocese and the Diocese of Bathurst formed a gospel partnership that has uplifted churches and brought great fruit in NSW’s central west. Sydney originally pledged to give $250,000 a year for six years, and in 2022 extended this support until 2030 to support ministry and gospel proclamation. 

“In 2019, there were 35 Bible study groups across half our parishes,” Bishop Calder said.

“Today there are over 70 in two-thirds of our parishes.” 

He also praised God that the number of clergy serving in the Bathurst Diocese has risen, with employed ministers now in almost half the diocese’s parishes (up from one in five), and youth and children’s ministry also running in about 50 per cent of churches. 

However, despite this growth, Bishop Calder acknowledged that many challenges still remained for the Bathurst Diocese such as ageing population, ageing buildings, and facing the cost of past failures. Of the 14 parishes without a minister, six will need “creative new models of care” to continue into the future. 

“Yet through all this, there is gospel joy,” he said. “Thank you for your generous partnership, your prayers, your encouragement. Pray for strength to press on with joy and confidence in the gospel.”

Bishop Calder left the room with a challenge: for people to consider coming to the central west and serving alongside the saints in regional and rural NSW. 

“I want to urge you to… maximise your capital investment by sending people! Make the most of the opportunity this generous gift has opened up… Thank you for your partnership in all the forms that it takes.”