When Baptist Care SA was formed in 2008, it was the result of a journey that began in 1913 when the West End Baptist Church and West End Baptist Mission were built to provide a safe place for people living on the streets.
The church and mission were built at Wright Street, using the proceeds of the sale of the Bentham St. Baptist Chapel, in what was then considered a highly undesirable area of Adelaide. Afforded aegis by the community of the Flinders Street Baptist Church, the mission’s main work was to administer relief to the needy in the district, irrespective of denomination. With many facing poverty and hunger, the mission was reported by The Advertiser newspaper to have been ‘much appreciated’ by the mothers and children living in that part of the city.
In 1930, during The Great Depression, the Lavis Free Kindergarten was set up in the area used for Sunday School. Established by Robert and Lucy Lavis, the free ‘sleep and eat kindergarten’ accommodated 40 children to sleep overnight, and gave all who attended free milk and a free hot midday meal. On that site today, Baptist Care SA’s WestCare Centre provides free breakfasts to people experiencing homelessness, and overnight accommodation during extreme weather events.
By November 1930, management of the West End Baptist Mission had been assumed by the South Australian Baptist Union who continued the missional work of its founders. The South Australian Baptist Union extended this work when they established Mylor Baptist Camp as a campsite for school and church groups in 1956. Both entities were merged in 1998 to become Baptist Community Services SA.
The South Australian Baptist Union established South Australian Baptist Homes for the Aged in 1949. In 2008, they sold their properties and merged with Baptist Community Services SA to form Baptist Care SA. (Proceeds of the sales were used to establish the Baptist Care SA Foundation, which serves to provide funds for programs and services when ongoing funding may not be available.)
The newly formed Baptist Care SA carried with it a deep missional legacy, which was rooted in its relationship with the Baptist Church, and commenced when the South Australian Baptist Association was first formed in 1863. The consolidation of the three Baptist entities merged their shared mission of expressing God’s love and compassion in ways that supported and strengthened South Australian communities.
In 2025, subject to various members’ approvals, the next stage of our journey will see us merge with BaptCare and BaptistCare to become an integrated care and services provider serving NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, WA and SA.
With each organisation sharing its heritage as an outworking of the Baptist faith, our coming together will continue our journey and shared mission of valuing people and supporting them to have hope, dignity and a fullness of life.
Amongst all that will change, our commitment to serving our community will remain the same.
Please continue to support our work. Your prayers, practical and financial support are vital to what we do.
Words by Sue Raw
CEO, Baptist Care SA
