ABOUT US
OUR TEAM - OUR VALUES - OUR STORY
MEET THE TEAM
Cam Buchanan
Senior Pastor
Kate Thomas
Office Manager
& Playgroup
Co-ordinator
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Jenny Buchanan
Women's Ministry
& Pastoral Care
Dale Nearmy
Creative Ministries
Adam & Annette Salicki
Associate Pastor for Next-Gen Ministries
Peter & Chrisa Telford
Missions Dept.
OUR VALUES
At MGBC, NOBODY WALKS ALONE
In scripture, living in community is a major part of the order of creation; and being in fellowship with other believers was a commitment that the early church valued deeply. The vulnerable were looked out for and everyone took personal responsibility for the welfare of others; and once you became a Christian, fellowship with believers is something you simply wanted to do!
We are a group of believers who also value being together: We are deeply committed to fellowship and care for each other. This has been a hallmark of our church for many years, and we're committed to including all new people into this sort of faith community. To us, you are more than a face in a crowd. Instead we will actively look for ways to get to know you and invite you into our family community.
At MGBC, WE HAVE ACCEPTED A COMPELLING MISSION
The church has a commission from Jesus to announce and demonstrate his Kingdom to the world around us and invite everyone to come under his reign; and we have been on a deep and deliberate journey of discovery about how we might do this well in the times we now find ourselves in.
In the past, we have been able to do this in some fun and unique ways, and these will certainly continue - our annual Solid Rock Cafe event is one big example, but there are many other exciting things on the horizon for us as well.
We deeply want our local neighbourhood to know Jesus like we do, but we are also looking further abroad as well. The entire Limestone Coast is in our sights, and we also have some amazing connections with ministries around the world.
At MGBC, WE ARE LIFE-LONG LEARNERS OF JESUS
There is a clear call in scripture for believers to grow and become mature Christians - to be people who know with deep conviction the things they should believe; people who are able to engage with all sorts of worldviews and appropriately defend their faith; people who can lead others into a similar journey of discipleship.
This is what Jesus meant in the Great Commission when he said to go and make disciples, teaching them and baptising them. It is a journey into something deep and real.
At MGBC, NOBODY COMES EMPTY-HANDED
In recent years, we have become more focused on the development of leaders in the congregation. We want to help people find their way in where they can best serve the Lord with their gifts. If you decide to call this church home, we will be intentional about finding ways you can serve and lead in our setting as well as the greater community!
A SMALL PART OF OUR STORY
Mount Gambier has had a Baptist presence and witness since 1864. We've taken many forms and met in a number of locations over that time, but we've always been a church deeply concerned about the community and the way we demonstrate who Jesus is to it. We are a large regional church, where people of all ages and all walks of life come together to worship Jesus and enjoy our faith together. We value the contribution of all generations, and aim to see everyone become the ministers we believe Jesus intends us to be.
On any Sunday morning service you'll encounter a more modern approach to church, plenty of time and space provided for kids, a strong emphasis on the way the Bible teaches us to live, a group of people willing to take time to make a new friend, and a very deliberate sense of reverence for significant church events such as communion and baptism. We also believe in the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised; so we expect a degree of interaction with Him in these times.
But we are also a church that will not separate Sunday from the rest of our week. Jesus has an expression on Monday and we believe we are supposed to be involved with this. We see our city and even the wider region as our God-placed mission. We are deeply committed to being connected and encouraging each other all through the week as well and our extensive network of house churches and other events help make that happen.
In late 2022, with the crisis of COVID revealing a new state of things in our region, we have begun to be more intentional about the flourishing of our local neighbourhood, as well as that of the wider Limestone Coast region. And in an exciting new development, on June 28, 2024 we voted emphatically in favour of planting a new church in the nearby town of Penola. Set to commence in the first half of 2025, this is the start of a longer church planting journey. We are keen to see a gathering of some sort - a dinner table, a lounge room or a hall - in every town on the Limestone Coast