Mission Minded
Kyogle Baptist Church and West Wyalong Baptist Church
In 1980, I notified our supporting churches that Sherwood Hills Baptist Church would be self supporting in the future and stopped all overseas support and became the "Australian Pastor" of a fully self supporting church. From 1980 onward the church built two new learning centers and added office space. God blessed us greatly in the eighties. Many were saved and baptized and the church prospered spiritually. During this time Sherwood Hills sent the Mansons as missionaries to Kyogle, New South Wales and supported them to establish Kyogle Baptist Church; purchasing property and building a nice building in the center of this country town. The church also helped establish Menangle Street Baptist Church, in a nearby country town. Sherwood Hills has remained very much a Mission Minded church. The church has been involved in an outback missions outreach over a number of years. West Wyalong Baptist Church was established through that ministry; with property being obtained and a building erected with the help of a two week Macedonian building project. The church has a very generous mission program; giving tens of thousands of dollars annually through regular and faith promise missions.
Sherwood Hills has continued its growth. They have purchased additional property and buildings and just recently, under the leadership of Pastor Don Stewart and the men of the church, have completed construction of new buildings at a cost of one and one-half million dollars. At our last visit there we found their sanctuary full for worship services and the sound of the old hymns thrilled our hearts! Steven Nightingale, who began his education in the church Kindergarten, finished teacher’s training and is now the Principal at the school. It is also a blessing that four men I asked the church to place on a leadership and pulpit committee some thirty-five years ago are still faithful in the leadership of the church. A good number of their children and their families remain involved in the church as well; some also serving in the Church and Christian School ministry
Sherwood Hills has continued its growth. They have purchased additional property and buildings and just recently, under the leadership of Pastor Don Stewart and the men of the church, have completed construction of new buildings at a cost of one and one-half million dollars. At our last visit there we found their sanctuary full for worship services and the sound of the old hymns thrilled our hearts! Steven Nightingale, who began his education in the church Kindergarten, finished teacher’s training and is now the Principal at the school. It is also a blessing that four men I asked the church to place on a leadership and pulpit committee some thirty-five years ago are still faithful in the leadership of the church. A good number of their children and their families remain involved in the church as well; some also serving in the Church and Christian School ministry
It was in September 1988 that my wife and I took three members of Sherwood Hills Baptist Church's mission committee into this valley to visit our missionary, Gordon Manson and his wife, Margaret. We had driven the nearly six hundred miles north from Sydney to help solve a pressing and critical problem. For over three years the Mansons and the mission had been seeking appropriate property for a building. Kyogle is an old town of mostly country folk and it seemed there might be some resistance by the powers that be to the establishment of a fundamental, Bible believing Baptist Church there.These problems were overcome by the Lord and today a find church stands in Kyogle.
Sherwood Hills Baptist Church's Mission Vision has included an extensive effort to share the gospel with those in the outback and small towns of New South Wales. Over a number of years this ministry included an extensive Mail Box distribution ministry. One result of this effort was the planting and establishment of West Wyalong Baptist Church in West Wyalong, New South Wales. Sherwood Hills built the work not only by Mail Box distribution, but by sending one of their preachers down for weekend services over a number of years. This culminated in Sherwood Hills then obtaining and paying for a prime piece of property upon which to construct a building. Sherwood Hills then constructed a building on the property. Macdonian Mission Service helped in a two week project in which much of the building was completed. We had the privilege of participating in this project. Sherwood Hills continues to support the ministry of this church. This effort has been a part of Sherwood Hills' very generous mission program; giving tens of thousands of dollars annually through regular and faith promise missions.
