Dubbo Anglican Church

Andrew Thornhill, along with his wife Kath and their children, Hudson (Year 12) and Matilda (Year 9), relocated from Perth to SMBC for his studies. The Rev’d Andrew Thornhill was joyfully welcomed to Dubbo and commissioned as Rector of Dubbo Anglican and Archdeacon of the North-West on 3 February 2024.

Dubbo Anglican is part of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst with a mission “to know Jesus and to make him known.” The church approaches their mission by building each other in the word of God, equipping each other for service and sending people out into the community to faithfully proclaim the life-giving words of Jesus.

Country NSW is littered with churches but almost every one battles significant challenges every single day. One of the most significant is the constant departure of young people from the country for study and work. Generations are missing from the church and the aging population on the land is mirrored in the church. The average age of church members in the Bathurst Diocese is 70 years old and there is almost no youth ministry anywhere. There are of course youth around but the church has not been able to connect with youth for decades.

Wonderfully though, under the current Bishop Mark Calder, there is a new vision of ‘Sharing Jesus for Life’ that is driving change and hope.

Dubbo NSW Context

• Population: 40,000

• Demographic mix: 81% of the population of Dubbo were born in Australia. There are many retired farmers that settle in Dubbo, including 14% who identify as Australian Aboriginal. 

Challenges

• Shrinking churches and increasing financial pressure has meant approximately half of the Anglican Churches in the Diocese have been without a Senior Minister. The challenge is how to engage the next generation where churches have been struggling to grow and adapt.

Opportunities

• Watch as Moore College Vice Principal Simon Gillham chats with Bishop Mark Calder (Bathurst Diocese) and regional workers James Boardman and Sally Phelps about the joys and challenges of ministry in regional NSW, as well as the exciting growth and opportunities in the area.

Andrew is excited for the future, being convicted by the gospel and the power of God’s word.

One of the biggest struggles at Dubbo Anglican is assurance—95% of people still say they "hope" they've done enough. When we ask Andrew about this, it provides a great opportunity for him to preach the gospel.

Recently, Andrew preached through the book of Ephesians, and people loved it. Many had never worked through an entire book of the Bible before! Similarly, when he preached through the story of Joseph in Genesis, people were deeply engaged—they had never heard an Old Testament narrative preached before. When the end of the series was announced, there was an audible groan—people wanted more!

How has Christ Church’s support made a difference?

All the funds Christ Church has provided have gone directly to hiring a new staff member, Justin. He works three days a week, focusing on young families, Kids Church, Playgroup, and SRE. Alongside this, he is studying part-time at SMBC and attending live online lectures. How exciting that our support is investing in the next generation of believers!

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