FBC has a long and rich history. Whilst ministering in the humble town of El Dorado, Kansas, Pastor Richard, and Kathleen Hester felt the call on their lives to minister to the people of Lebanon. So, after much preparation, in 1959, they packed their bags and moved to Tripoli, Lebanon. It was here where Faith Baptist Church initially found its roots and the work of our church ministry began. These were years of joy for Faith Baptist Church as many people came to know the Lord and the church was growing. However, due to war, the Hester’s and many of the church members would find themselves leaving Lebanon for the safety of a new life in Australia in 1976.
On January 16, 1977, the ministry of Faith Baptist Church would recommence and hold its first service in Pastor Hester’s living room. The services continued for six months until the Lord granted the church its first long-term home in Croydon Park. Once again, the Lord worked through the ministry of the Hesters and blessed their commitment to His work. So, after many years of service as the pastor and then an increasing number of health issues coming his way, Pastor Richard Hester retired as the Senior Pastor and handed over the pastorate to Pastor Nabeel Zaydan and his wife Joseline in 1994.
Under the leadership of Pastor Zaydan, our church saw exponential growth in every area, from the children’s programs to the youth group, and the concurrent Arabic and English congregations. These blessings in the church community confirmed that the Croydon Park building was confined, as our numbers had continued to grow. So, to continue with the church’s vision of growth, it was decided in 2005, that the church had outgrown the facility and would undertake the task of constructing a new church. The church relocated to a temporary premises, meeting at the Chester Hill Community Centre until the new building had been completed in November 2010.
On the 5th of March 2011, the new facility where we are now in at Regents Park was dedicated to the glory of God and has been home to the church family. The years we have spent here have been wonderful as our church family has continued to grow, we have hosted amazing events, and have seen the ministry flourish under the Lord’s hand. In March of 2018, the church underwent a leadership change and Pastor Mansour Youssef was voted in as our Senior Pastor.
The Lord has developed and grown our ministry, and we are excited to see where the Lord leads us in the future. Faith Baptist Church, Sydney, today is a flourishing community due to the Lord’s goodness to us. Our desire is to nurture people to have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. Happy anniversary FBC!