In the next 20 years, 1.8 million people are projected to move to Sydney. 50 per cent of these will be settling west of Parramatta. That means a lot of people will be moving into new land release areas, but also, an equivalent number will be ‘infilling’ into existing parishes.
As those who are, first and foremost, interested in how to reach the lost, we must be asking ourselves, “What position are Sydney Anglican churches in to effectively share the gospel with this massive influx of people?”
And, more specifically, as those charged with overseeing the use of our Diocese’s significant property assets, “How will our buildings and property either enable this vital work, or be a major hindrance to it?”
The great strength of the Anglican parish system is that every inch of the Diocese is the responsibility of a parish with a minister and their ministry team. The care of every soul is accounted for. Nobody misses out on their access to the life changing gospel of Jesus.
Across our Diocese there are more than 260 parishes, each with at least one church building, the vast majority with at least one rectory, and many with a couple of other properties. Currently, 70 per cent of the buildings and assets owned by the Diocese are located east of Parramatta.
With this in mind, over the last few years, Sydney Anglican Property’s Strategy & Development team, led by Timothy Green, has been working hard to ensure this historical imbalance is re-balanced as the city’s demographics shift. Mr Green describes it as “an immense need and an incredible opportunity”.
“I have sat at my desk and seen the spreadsheets and statistics for the projected demographics, parish to people ratios, and what the need is.
“I have seen it as I drive around the suburbs where there are houses and buildings going up and there are no churches around.
“If nothing changes, some parishes will be in a position where they will be one parish to 160,000 people, while others will be one parish to 3,000 people. I see it so clearly. We need to do something different.”
By looking carefully at the underlying data on a region-by-region basis, the strategic planning work undertaken by the team is thoughtful, meticulous, and mission-minded in helping the Diocese as a whole to lift our eyes beyond just our local parish efforts. Working as individual parishes will be tough. Collaborating for the Kingdom is essential and mirrors what the early Christians did around the Mediterranean.
The Draft South-West Region Buildings & Property Strategy was the first of the regional strategies, with recommendations presented to Synod in September 2023. Synod encouraged the strategic work to continue with the remaining four diocesan regions.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel also passionately addressed this in his presidential address to the Synod in the Greenfields.
“Can you see the crowds?” he implored. “The time frames in which we are speaking necessarily mean that we are casting our minds and our prayers to times and ministry needs and opportunities that we may never see ourselves.”
These building and property strategies provide a co-ordinated, diocesan-wide approach to meeting the significant mission challenges we face, including challenges that require collaboration across parish boundaries. In particular, the strategies aim to identify how to optimise ministry infrastructure and resources in important growth areas in greenfields and urban renewal locations.
Through this process of thorough analysis, to the regional strategies make one or more of the following recommendations for parishes and Mission Areas across the Diocese:
- The parish is too big – We need to multiply the number of churches to cater for the size of the population.
- Consider a parish partnership/amalgamation – For example, rather than having nine churches in a particular area, we really only need three to meet the needs of the area. In the past, we have used amalgamations when a parish has been facing sustained decline. These have had mixed outcomes. There is a greater chance of positive outcomes if the motivation for partnerships or amalgamations is for missional benefit, irrespective of the ‘health’ of the parishes involved.
- Upgrades – Minor upgrades to parish property to help it be a better fit for the ministry and activities being undertaken.
- Urban renewal – This considers the potential of a site and the possible redevelopment of it to address a need in the area (for example, affordable housing, childcare facilities, disability accommodation etc.) while also upgrading existing ministry facilities.
Mr Green reflects, “Our role is not to antagonise or place any great burden on parishes, but simply to help facilitate necessary conversation as we consider our role as active stewards of the resources we have.
“At SAP we often talk about wanting to ‘put property on mission’. We know the generations that have gone before us have left us a marvellous legacy. They have stewarded the Diocese’s assets through major upheavals including wars, large-scale immigration and other demographic challenges. It is beholden on us to do the same.
“Through lots of hard work, and sometimes hard conversations, we can ensure we don’t bury our talents, but use what we have been given to bless our people and our communities. And, most importantly, to ensure the gospel goes out right across our Diocese in the most effective way possible.”
Mr Green and his team are currently working on draft strategies for the Northern and Western regions. In 2025, strategies will be prepared for the Wollongong and Southern Sydney regions.
[About the author: This article was prepared by Emma Moxham from Crossbeam Communications – a specialist communications, marketing and fundraising agency serving Christian organisations.]