Our Story
'Welcome home'
For over 115 years, people have gathered at Lakemba Anglican Church to build a spiritual home for their community.
We believe that God is wonderfully good, and we love to celebrate and enjoy all that he has done for us through his Son Jesus.
Everyone is welcome in our church. We are made up of many nationalities, ages, and languages - united in our shared love for God, his message to us in the Bible, and for each other.
God is building his home for all who seek it. We believe that God's promise of life and hope is held out to all people, everywhere.
So we'd love to meet you, and truly say:
'Welcome home.'
In the Lord Jesus, you too are being built together to become a home in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22
Everyone will celebrate
the story of your wonderful goodness.
Psalm 145:7
Our Beliefs
There is a God who made us to be like him,
and who loved us richly when we were far from him.
He is gathering his people back to himself through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again.
As followers of Jesus, we live new lives full of trust, hope, and love in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God speaks to us through the Bible. His word is full of promises and blessings, which we seek together and try to honour in all that we say and do.
The world needs to hear the Good News of Christ and so we proclaim him to people of all nations, both near and far.
We are a very diverse Church. Whatever your cultural or religious background, whatever your church denomination or beliefs - we believe that God will unite us beautifully together as a family if we wholeheartedly seek the truth of Christ in the Bible.
Our Team
Everyone
We believe that every member of our church has been gifted by God with great opportunities to serve their church family richly -
because every Christian has the privilege and responsibility to teach the truth of God's word to one another, to walk together in love, and to share Christ with our community.
This is why our Sunday gatherings are full of opportunities for people to share what they find in the Bible - we want to hear everyone's voice.
And this is also why we encourage everyone in our church to be walking closely in life together - to be intentional in our relationships and ministry to one another as Christian brothers and sisters.
The most important member of our ministry team is everyone.
Matt Dodd
Senior Pastor
Ever since he was a child, Matt's favourite thing has been to open God's word in the Bible and help others to hear it, trust it, and live it.
He is married to Erica, and together with their four kids, they have a passion for multicultural ministry. They have served with churches in South-West Sydney for over 15 years, and love sharing new life together with people of all nations.
Matt came to Lakemba in 2017 to help build a spiritual home for all who seek it. His main role is to lead the Bible teaching and provide pastoral care for the church family. His great joy has been seeing people come to know and trust in the Lord Jesus through all the seasons of life.
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Arda Cholakyan
Children's and Youth Ministry Leader
Arda has been a follower of Jesus for 20 years. She loves sharing God's truth with children and youth in ways that excite and develop their faith, hearts, and minds as they grow.
With over 30 years experience in children's education, she is passionate about partnering with parents to help see every child thrive.
Arda has lived and worked in Lakemba for 10 years, and loves the diversity of this church and community. As an Australian-born Armenian, with parents who grew up in the Middle East, she enjoys connecting with people from all nations.
She leads our GLOW Kids ministry on Sunday mornings and Floodlight Youth on Friday nights, and co-ordinates our Thursday Playtime group.
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Alexis Yan
Administration Coordinator
Alexis' joy is to serve the Lord whom she knows has been leading and guiding her all of her life.
She has worked with us since 2024, managing the day to day operations of the church, and supporting everyone in their work and fellowship.
She and her family are members of our Sunday morning congregation. They love the way this church has been a spiritual home for them - a place to grow in their faith and to feel really safe and connected with God's people.
She wants to use her role in administration to help others experience this, and to help everyone connect and serve together more fruitfully and effectively.