Kings Baptist lodges development plans for new church and community centre in Mount Barker

A Hills church has lodged plans for a $3.1m expansion, which would see it develop a place of worship opposite a school campus.

Mount Barker Baptist Church has lodged a $3.1m development application to build a new church and community hall. Source: Mount Barker District Council

A divine new development is on the cards for Mount Barker with a local church revealing major expansion plans.

Mount Barker Baptist Church has lodged a development application with Mount Barker District Council to construct a new $3.1m home for its congregation.

The development would occur at 41 Bollen Road, directly adjacent to the new King Baptist Grammar School yet to be constructed.

According to a planning report, the development would comprise a community centre, a cafe and place of worship for around 200 people.

It would also be the new home of the Mount Barker Baptist Church which sold its current premise at 3 Victoria Road in 2019 for $3.135m.

Mount Barker Baptist Church has lodged a $3.1m development application to build a new community hub and church. Source: Mount Barker District Council

The centre will sit adjacent the new King’s Baptist Grammar School campus. Source: Mount Barker District Council

“The facilities in the proposed community centre will be shared between the school, Mount Barker Baptist Church and the community,” the report states.

“Access for the community centre will be provided on Bollen Road and will be designed to ensure that vehicles, including a bus, will be able to enter and exit the site in a forward direction.

“The shared use of parking for the school and the community centre will enable the peak parking demand to be accommodated on the site while maximising education and recreation spaces for students and the community.”

King’s Baptist Principal Don Grimmett said the Stage 2 development would play an integral part in the school’s every day running.

Besides Sunday church services, students and their families would be able to use the facility for a range of community needs.

It will also feature a cafe and room for a community activities. Source: Mount Barker District Council

The new state-of-the-art campus is set to open for Term 1 of 2023 with construction to commence later this month.

“We’re very much into developing community and as such work very closely with (Mount Barker) Baptist Church, so that’s the inspiration behind the centre and the way it’s being set up,” he said.

“These days, what we need to acknowledge is that churches are used between 10am and 11am on a Sunday morning and often not used for the rest of the week, so the focus with this community centre is that while it will be a place of worship, it will also be a place of other community activity.”

Plans are currently up on public notice with community feedback sought by April 23.