Our History

To call ourselves ‘Baptist’, means we stand within a historic tradition whose most obvious distinguishing mark is believers baptism.

Our roots go back to England in the early 1600’s, during debates about the reform of the church and the separation between church and state. A group of people that emphasised believers baptism grew out of the English separatist movement and came to be known as the ‘Baptists’.

The first Baptist service of worship in Australia was held at the Rose and Crown hotel in Sydney on 24 April 1831, and the first baptisms where held in Woolloomooloo Bay, in 1832.

The first Baptist service held in Melbourne was in 1837. With the formation of the Collins Street Church in 1843 the work in Victoria assumed a more stable identity. With the Baptist Union of Victoria forming in 1862.

On the 11 May 1947 at the Aberfeldie Primary School, the Aberfeldie Baptist Sunday School commenced, a plant from the Essendon Baptist Church, within a few months worship services commenced. In 1952 the Aberfeldie fellowship was constituted as a Baptist Church.

On the 22 March 1953 a new wooden Church hall was opened at 1 Price Street, Essendon. In 1963 to make way for a new electricity sub-station the wooden Church hall was moved to 5 Price Street.

Soon after work began on a new brick Church located in front of the hall. Our current Church building was opened for services in 1965. On the 7 December 2008 a new function centre was built adjoining the Church at the rear and replaced the original wooden Church hall.

Additional pdf booklets on our history for download