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About Us

What We Believe

Statement of Beliefs

As approved by the 1979 Assembly
Amended to gender-inclusive language following 2002 and 2003 Assemblies

The Nature and Unity of the Godhead

There is one God Who is eternal personal Spirit. He is infinite in power, wisdom, holiness and love. God is Triune in essential being and revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Deity and Humanity of Christ

Jesus Christ as the second Person of the Godhead is eternally one with God the Father of whose person and glory Jesus is the accurate expression. To become human He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, so that two whole and perfect natures, the nature of God and human nature, were united in one Person; truly God and truly human.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit as the third Person of the Trinity is eternally one with the Father and the Son yet He is sent by Them to achieve the divine purpose in the world and in the Church.

The Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures

The Scriptures, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, are the infallible Word of God. They were written by holy people of God inspired by the Holy Spirit and have supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Sinfulness of People

People were made in the image of God and for fellowship with God. By transgression of God's command, humankind fell from fellowship with God and their nature was corrupted. As a consequence, all people are spiritually dead under Satan's dominion and control and subject to God's wrath and condemnation. Therefore, apart from God's grace, people are helpless and hopeless.

Christ's Atonement for Human Sin

In order to redeem people from the guilt, penalty and power of sin, Jesus Christ became human and died a sacrificial death as our representative substitute. By His resurrection, God's acceptance of His atoning death was demonstrated. This atonement is sufficient for the whole world but effective only in those who receive it. The sinner is justified and reconciled to God, not through any personal merit, but solely on the basis of God's gracious gift of salvation in Jesus Christ received through faith.

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is necessary for the acceptance of God's provision of salvation. The Holy Spirit convinces sinners of their sinfulness, leads them to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and so brings them to spiritual birth as God's children and to fellowship in Christ. Working within the life of believers the Holy Spirit makes real the presence of Christ, witnesses to their relationship with God leads into all truth, bestows gifts for effective service and produces graces for holy living.

The Church

The Church is the body of people whom God has separated from the world through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. All regenerate persons are members of the universal Church of God which takes local form wherever groups of believers unite for worship, fellowship and service in accordance with scriptural principles. All believers are called to a priestly ministry in the offering of spiritual sacrifices and sent into the world to be witnesses. God calls individuals to positions of oversight and leadership or to special ministries. The Church recognises such by ordaining pastors, commissioning missionaries, appointing deacons and other leaders, following New Testament practice.

The Baptism of Believers Only by Immersion

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a public declaration of a person's faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In accordance with New Testament Scripture, it should be administered only by total immersion which symbolises the believer's identification with Christ in death, burial and resurrection, the remission of sins and the believer's dedication of himself to God to live and walk in newness of life.

The Communion

The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ instituted by Him to be celebrated with the elements of bread and wine by believers in Christ until the end of the age. It commemorates and declares our thanks for the Lord's substitutionary death. The celebration of the ordinance expresses our fellowship with and in the Lord Jesus Christ as members of the Body of which He is the Head.

The Return of the Lord Jesus Christ

At the end of this age, according to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in His glory to the earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom of God awaits His return.

The Resurrection of the Dead

At the end of the age, there is to be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous. After death, people's bodies return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God-the righteous to be with Him and the unrighteous to be reserved for the judgment.

Rewards and Punishments in a Future State

God has appointed a day of final judgement for the world. At that time Jesus Christ will judge every person and each will receive reward or punishment according to their deeds. Those judged righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment.

Sunday Service

Morning Service, 10am

A contemporary style of service, with an emphasis on worshipful music, strong biblical teaching centred on Jesus.

Families are catered for with Kids Church and a Creche running in parallel with the service.

Communion services and children's services are regularly held.

See the Bulletin tab for upcoming services and events.

Our Leadership

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Andy Collins

Senior Pastor

Andy, his wife Melissa and four kids, Aiden, Ben, Chloe and Zac moved to BBC in early 2015. Andy also has an older son, Toby. 

Prior to full-time ministry, Andy had a very diverse work history. One of his most memorable was as a warehouse supervisor at WEA Records in the 80s and early 90s.

Soon after becoming a Christian in 1996, Andy started to sense God’s call on his life to full-time ministry and found himself led to serving, first, amongst street youth in Sydney, and then serving as Pastor at Newtown Mission, from 2003 until 2015
On many of his days off Andy will be walking in the bush somewhere, often out of phone range and each year heads to some remote part of God’s Earth to battle the elements, a hobby he enjoys sharing with Melissa and the kids more and more as they get older. He also loves LOUD blues-rock guitar and wishes he has more hours in the day to play.

“Having been personally and powerfully delivered from a destructive lifestyle, I can truly testify to how amazing a church community can be: existing to make a difference in the world, turning darkness to light in countless ways. Having also been involved in healing ministries for many years, it’s just an incredible privilege to be entrusted by God with such gifts and responsibilities! There’s nothing more satisfying to me than helping people reach their true potential in Christ, and seeing that overflow from our church community into our homes, then into the local community, families, workplaces, schools, to the ends of the earth.”

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Siu Lin Double and Carol Dutheil

Former Kids Church and Creche Coordinators

Siu Lin has been in church for 30 years, and in November 2017 joined Blackheath Baptist Church with her husband Andrew and two childern, Lucy and Robbie, after God told them to work in this part of His vineyard. She was bought up in the Upper Mountains and has a desire to share God's love with all people. Apart from a passion to be with God's people Siu Lin seek opportunities to eat delicious food, her favourites include Vietnamese and Middle Eastern. She was raised up around food, her parents ran restaurants, she is a pastry chef by trade and a consummate foodie.
"God spoke to me three times and told me 'to bring the children to Him', 10 years on and He still asks me to do the work of kid's ministry. What has kept me going, is God equipping and strengthening me and seeing children discover the joy of being in relationship with Jesus."

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Carol grew up in the Megalong Valley and is one of 5 children. She went to primary school in the valley, and boarding school for high school in Katoomba and Bathurst. 
Carol lives in the Kanimbla Valley with Her husband Fred and 2 pugs, they have 2 children and 3 grandsons. Carol works as a teacher’s aide in Lithgow as well as a childcare worker at the Lithgow PCYC and in her spare time she enjoys walking (at least 20km), crocheting and family time.

“Siu Lin and I took on the role as the kid’s church coordinators at the beginning of 2019. As you can tell I love being around kids. I took on this role because I feel that kids deserve the opportunity to learn and make informed decisions and also on a personal level they keep you young.”

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Jenny Bawden

Elder

Jenny and husband John Bawden came to BBC in about 2008. They have two adult children who live in Sydney. The Bawdens have been owner-building their home in Katoomba for 28 years and Jenny is the gardener! Jenny works for Langham Partnership Australia (a ministry that trains Bible teachers in the Majority World). She is passionate about social justice and Christians playing their part to address poverty. She is an Elder, sings on the Worship team and is the Coordinator of Catalyst (Baptist World Aid’s advocacy program) at BBC.

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Rosemary Barnes

Treasurer

Rosemary started attending BBC in April 1992. She grew up in the northern suburbs of Woolongong. Rosemary has 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys. 3 are married with families, one is engaged, and 2 still living at home. "They are all adults now and following what God has for them. They have given us 8 grandbabies."
 

Rosemary made a decision for God in 1986, as she and James were planning their wedding. One night, she had a dream - in hindsight from God, that the minister forgot their names on their wedding day. So she wanted to get to know the guy, so he knew who they were. At the church, there was a couple, who just loved  James and Rosemary and very soon after, led them to the Lord.
 

Rosemary has a work history of being in the fashion industry, and in retail – working for target for 10 years, as well as 5 years in a bakery. She has also run the office for James’ businesses since 1999, doing short courses in MYOB, and office admin, as well as
being a hands-on mum while the kids were young.

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Peter Barnes

Youth Coordinator

Peter Barnes was born and raised in Blackheath. Has been a part of BBC for the young age of 5 days old. And has been a part of the youth group for nearly as long. His parents James and Rosemary Barnes, were the Coordinator of BBC Youth when Peter was a toddler. Because both parents were at the youth group, he was taken to the youth group because there was no one to look after him at home. He is the youngest of 6 kids, All of the 6 kids growing up in BBC and the youth group.

Peter started ‘officially' attending the youth group when he started high school. In year 10, Peter Became a leader under David Berner, and He was Dave's “2nd in charge”. And is now the Coordinator of the BBC youth group, know as Light Hill Youth Group.
 

Peter is curtly part-time as the Youth Coordinator at BBC, works casually as a barista in a café in Blackheath and is doing an ‘Advanced Diploma of Ministry' at Morling (bible) College.

Peter has a passion for 'discipleship' of all ages. Peter loves coffee, bass guitar and video games.
 

“I fell called to disciple a generation, stating young and following them through life till who knows when. I do not know if that will be at BBC or some other church. I also don’t know when this will start or finish, but I am called to learn ‘how to disciple well’ between now and when it starts. Because I am called to learn, I find myself where I am now, doing the Youth Coordinator, in Café and Studying a college."

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Robyn Hoare

Playtime Coordinator

Robyn grew up in Annandale and went to Sunday School at St Aidan’s Church of England. She became a Christian at the age of 16 at a crusade held at St Aidan’s.
Graham and Robyn met in youth group, they have been married for over 50 years. They spent eleven and a half years of their early married life in New Zealand, and have 5 children, 3 boys, and 2 girls, and 14 wonderful grandchildren.
Robyn enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, walking, gardening, crocheting, knitting, cooking and going to live theatre.
She has worked in children’s ministries most of her life, teaching Sunday School, as a leader in Girls Brigade and GFS (the Anglican equivalent to Girls Brigade) and in church based Playgroups.  She has also volunteered in homes of families with children with disabilities.
"Caring for, working with, and lovingly supporting children and their families is a passion and call God gave to me as a teenager. This God given passion eventually led Graham and I to be Foster carers for a number of years."

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Peter Dymock

Work, Health and Safety

Peter came to BBC in 2017, originally from Mortdale Oatley Baptist Church.

He is married to Linda and has two sons.

Peter is a retired Head History Teacher and loves gardening, golf, model railways and woodworking in his spare time.

He has a background in law, administration and risk management and takes on the role in WHS in our church.

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History

A group of Baptists in Blackheath began to meet regularly for worship in a private home in 1886. Through the generosity of one of them, Miss Garside, who donated the profits of her boarding-house, and of another, Mr Robinson, who gave land, it was possible to build a wooden mission hall in 1888.

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The growing congregation met in this hall until 1928, when the hall was relocated to the rear of the block given by Robinson and a brick church was built instead on its original site. The foundation stones of the new church were laid on 8 September 1928 by the President of the Baptist Union of NSW and by the Blackheath minister, R.S. Pickering.

 

The church was opened for worship on 16 February 1929. The most significant of the new furnishings were presented by local donors: the new pulpit was a memorial to Mrs Field, the pulpit chair to Mr Marshall. The original church became an ancillary hall and was extended on the north side, removing the original lined wall. (Yeaman, 179-81)

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