Easter is always a significant moment in the life of the church, as we remember Jesus’ death and celebrate his resurrection—the ultimate sign of new life. Across NSW and the ACT, many Baptist churches marked the Easter season with baptisms, joyfully celebrating people stepping forward to publicly declare their faith in Christ. Two stories emerged from the Hunter region this Easter are just two examples of what God is doing more broadly across our Baptist family.
The Colliery Church
One of those stories comes from The Colliery Church, a new church plant that began earlier this year. The Colliery Church was planted by New Vine Church, Maryland, and meets in the former West Wallsend Baptist Church building. Led by Pastor Lysander Lawrence, The Colliery Church describes itself as “a church for the spiritually curious—exploring, questioning, and discovering faith as we follow Jesus with our heart, our head, and our hands.”
On Easter Sunday, The Colliery Church celebrated the baptism of two members of their team—a significant moment for a young church community. One of those baptised was an 18-year-old intern who is currently part of the H100 Intern Program, being shaped and equipped for leadership within the Hunter region. The other was a long-term follower of Jesus who had been sprinkled as a child and chose baptism as an intentional step of faith and obedience.
These baptisms reflected not only personal journeys of faith but also the heart of a church plant seeking to disciple people deeply, regardless of how long they have been walking with Christ. For a new congregation, moments like this are both affirming and formative, grounding the community in the gospel it seeks to live and proclaim.
“What a great experience for our church plant – seeing a young adult take the faith as his own and a dad going deeper with his faith,” reflects Lysander, ” and all that on Easter Sunday was just incredible.”
Echo145
Another encouraging Easter story unfolded further south in the Hunter region, involving Morisset Baptist Church and its church plant, Echo145. Morisset Baptist Church’s reason for ministry is shaped by Psalm 78:4:
“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
This commitment to passing on the story of God’s faithfulness was a key reason Morisset Baptist Church discerned the call to plant Echo145. Echo145 exists with a clear focus on reaching younger generations moving into the south‑western Lake Macquarie region, creating contexts where faith can be explored, lived, and shared in meaningful ways.
On Easter Sunday, a celebration service was held in which space was intentionally made for people to respond in obedience through baptism. Faithfully, the baptismal was opened without certainty that anyone would step forward—a simple but profound act of trust in God’s leading.
That trust was met with joy. Two people associated with Morisset Baptist Church and one person from the ministry of Echo145 chose to be baptised on the day, each offering a clear testimony to God’s work in their lives. For both the sending church and the church plant, it was a powerful reminder that God continues to move, call, and transform—often in moments of faithful openness rather than careful planning.
Echo145 is led by Pastor Josh Edwards, with Senior Pastor Tim Coller serving at Morisset Baptist Church. Together, their shared story reflects the heart of Baptist mission: churches planting churches, investing in the next generation, and trusting God to bring growth in his time.
“Baptism is a powerful expression of new life in Jesus,” says Josh, “not just a personal moment, but a visible declaration that His resurrection life is at work today. On Resurrection Sunday, we simply made space in faith, and it was incredible to see people respond. It was a reminder that God is still moving, still calling, and still bringing new life in our community, now, today.”
While these Easter baptisms took place in different settings—one in a newly planted congregation and the other within the life of a sending church and its plant—they tell a shared story. From West Wallsend to Morisset, and across NSW and the ACT, Baptist churches are continuing to see lives changed as people respond to the good news of Jesus.
These moments are deeply encouraging for us as an association. They remind us that church planting is ultimately about people, that faith is still being awakened and renewed, and that God is at work in both established churches and new communities of faith.
As we celebrate these representative stories from the Hunter, we give thanks for every baptism celebrated this Easter season. And we look forward with prayerful hope to the stories yet to come!
