Who we are
Get to know our mission, beliefs, people and story.
Glorifying God by Growing in Christ and Making Him Known.
Our vision is to be a church that is making a real difference for Christ in Penrith. A prayerfully dependent church committed to growing in relationship with Christ and his people. A local landmark where the people of Penrith are invited to experience the love of Christ as they come to know him and grow in him.
Our Leadership and Staff
Tom Harricks
Senior Minister
Kath Olliffe
Office & Communications Manager
Kath manages the office, communicates with everyone and provides admin support to our staff. She loves Jesus, her family and relaxing with her dog 'Puppy'. She is crazy about stationery of all kinds.
Mark Bolas
Associate Minister
Mark grew up in the Penrith area. After tasting city life through work and study, he saw the light and returned to the foot of the mountains. Mark loves trying out the breakfast options of local cafes with his wife Kylie and their three kids, but nothing excites him more than seeing people get to know Jesus.
Leonie Armour
Pastoral Care
Our pastoral worker Leonie spends her retirement being just as busy as she was when she was working. She enjoys spending time with people, telling them about Jesus and providing a listening ear. In her spare time she attempts the crossword and plans her next holiday.
Elizabeth Taylor
Children's Ministry Coordinator
Elizabeth is a retired High School teacher who after years of teaching English and Financial Services decided to try a different line of work. She enjoys walking, reading, Sudoku, coffee chats and learning more about what the Bible has to say to us today.
Nic Brown
Student Minister
Nic grew up in Sydney and then moved to Armidale to study medicine, where he became Christian. He enjoys running, tennis, sci-fi books and playing
chess, so he's basically an athletic nerd. NIc is currently studying
at Moore Theological College and is considering
church ministry or overseas mission work in the future.
Our Beliefs
Below is an overview of the core Christian beliefs that we hold as a church.
Our History
St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church was the first Church built in Penrith and is now the 15th oldest surviving church in NSW. The foundation stone was laid on 22nd November, 1837. The north-west corner of the Church’s thirteen metre tower was made Penrith’s trigonometric point becoming a landmark for travellers in the early days. The bell, said to have been cast on the site, is dated 1838 and is still in use. The eastern window demonstrates the style produced in the 1870’s in NSW and later ones present as pictures – those in the vestry depict the marriage in Cana and the four in the northern porch have caused it to be known as the Apostles’ Porch.
Our Commitment to Safe Ministry
We are committed to the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, particularly within our own community. To ensure the safety of children and vulnerable people in our communities, in partnership with the Anglican Church of Australia, we will –
- Carefully recruit and train our clergy and church workers
- Adopt and encourage safe ministry practices by our clergy and church workers
- Respond promptly to each concern raised about the behaviour of our clergy and church workers
- Offer pastoral support to any person who has suffered abuse
- Provide supervision of and pastoral accountability to any congregation member who is known to have abused a child or another vulnerable person.