In 1999 the Baptist Association approached Steve and Louise Bartlett to consider planting a church in the newly developing suburbs around the Parramatta River including Newington. Steve (Lead Pastor) and Louise (volunteer Kids ministry) chose to plant in team. Elio (Mission & Small Groups) & Jacquie Bicanic, and Glen (Worship Pastor) & Jenny Spencer and their 4 children (Jono, Ben, Madelyn and Caitlin) joined the team and from 1st February 2000 began to pray and dream about the shape the church might take. For the first year there was a small amount of funding which was split between the 3 families and everyone working bi-vocationally.
In December 2003, Elio finished in his role at Bayside and moved to Bathurst Baptist.
In February 2005, Joel Noonan our first Youth Pastor commenced his role with us. He and his wife Erica were at Bayside until they were called to Berry Baptist in mid-2010.
From 2004-2006 a number of people served voluntarily in administration including Sandy Dixon-Pluss, Miriam Van Baelen and Sally Burton.
Glen Spencer, our worship pastor at the time, finished up in 2010 after accepting a call to Parramatta Baptist.
Nicole Regan, who had been serving the church in a voluntary capacity since 2002 and as the Chaplain at Concord West Public School from 2010 was involved in the Breathe relaunch in 2009 and served as the Pastor of the Breathe Congregation until 2017 when she left Bayside. In 2016 while Nicole was on a period of leave, Melinda Cooper was employed as Breathe Coordinator. After Nicole finished at Breathe in 2017, Melinda Cooper and Bronwyn Fraser continued to facilitate the leadership of Breathe in a voluntary capacity until Breathe finished meeting in mid-2018.
Mel Wellings started as Administrator in September 2006, having already been part of the congregation, and served on staff in this role until October 2009.
In 2010 Amanda Faase took on the admin role and has served on staff since then, though now in a slightly refocused role around communications.
In January 2012 Rachel Li began as youth pastor and also as Community Support Co-ordinator at Concord West Public School served in this role until May 2015.
Mark Falson commenced as Associate Pastor 4 days per week in February 2011 and held this role until February 2018. His focus was pastoral care and small groups and he also was significantly involved in the worship and teaching ministries of the church.
Louise Bartlett resigned from her paid role as Kid’s and Families Pastor in January 2013.
Carolyn Schache, who was part of the church, moved into the Children and Families role in February 2013 until mid-2016 when, having moved to Glenhaven, she and her husband felt the need to relocate to a more local church.
In July 2013 Steve Bartlett finished as senior pastor. He had held this role bi-vocationally since planting - for the first 5 years with a merchant bank and then from 2005 also working for Morling College and later the Baptist Association and moved to a full time role in Church Planting at the Baptist Association. Steve and Louise remain part of the church. The staff team continued to function well with Mark Falson and Nicole Regan as congregational pastors through a period where the church was without a senior pastor.
Tom Burton, who was already one of the key youth leaders, became Youth Pastor in 2015 until he moved to Dural Baptist Church to engage ministry in their sports centre at the end of 2017
Ola Odejayi became the church's 2nd Lead Pastor when he commenced at Bayside in April 2016. He served in this role until January 2018.
Pete Davies served the church from February 2018 until February 2019 as interim pastor as we found our way back from a difficult season
From 2018 to the end of 2020 youth ministry was led by James Burton, Yana Burton and Vinny Do serving as volunteers leaders.
In 2019 Kathy Elliot who had been part of Bayside since the early days began serving in the capacity of Ministry Coordinator/Facilitator leading the church through a season of doing more than just waiting for a new lead pastor and providing leadership as we found ourselves in a pandemic.
Jess Hallam served as administrator in 2019. Tammy Dunne took on this administrator role in 2020 and Audrey Liau in mid 2021. All 3 brining their considerable organisation skills to serve on team.
In 2021 Bayside called Nigel Lyons to join the faith community as Lead Pastor. Nigel, Kate and their daughter Alicia began at Bayside in April 2021.
This list of staff doesn’t include all those who have served faithfully on the Oversight Team bringing leadership and wisdom. These include Bill McCartney, Tim Morgan, Sheridan Voysey, Daniel Debenedetti, Ian Willis, Kathy Elliott, Ben Hallam, Albert Tan, Tania Tsang, Archie Viray, Sanjay Chandumal. As well as those who have served on Pastoral Search Teams over the years including Melinda Cooper, Carolyn Jones, Peter Faase, Ken Burton, Ben Hallam, Albert Tan and James Burton.
So many people have used the gifts God has given them to help shape this faith community - a small number in a paid capacity but many, many more as volunteers sharing ministry alongside other Baysiders seeking to live out faith in this community.
How to reach us
Our office is located at
the Arthur Street Centre
59 Arthur Street, Strathfield
Entrance and parking is near the corner of Fraser Street and Badgery Street. Directions here
Post mail to
Bayside Community Church
PO Box 338 Concord West NSW 2138
Email connect@baysidecc.com.au
