Inextricably linked across seven years! Sustainable Development Group and St Paul’s Anglican Church, Bankstown.
In January 2019, SDG’s founder Richard Ollerhead was contacted on behalf of St Paul’s where the parish needed a ‘project manager’ to assist with property matters. The aspiration was to establish a modern, fit-for-purpose ministry hub for the church to continue its faithful service of God and the people of Bankstown.
Helping churches with the stewardship role entrusted to them was a cause that Richard, and others as it turns out, were deeply passionate about. So SDG was born with St Paul’s as its first project.
From that day until this, the project has been the ultimate precedent project as the parish, SDG, Sydney Anglican Property and an army of devoted consultants, have battled through red tape, feasibility challenges, operational complexity and government requirements.
Last year the project was included in the Federal Government’s flagship HAFF program. Now, literally SEVEN YEARS TO THE DAY since SDG was established, the project has received its SSDA approval from the NSW Government!
From a handful of staff with a dream to activate church property for gospel impact and community good, SDG has become a workforce of 30 permanent employees overseeing 177 projects, supporting churches and representing hundreds of millions in development value across five states and territories.
The approval of 185 social and affordable housing units above brand-new church and community facilities in Bankstown is a profound example of what can be, and in our view should be, achieved under faithful stewardship in partnership.
A planning approval is one thing, but we’re most excited for the people of Bankstown who will one day call this place home, and for the many faithful generations at St Paul’s who will have fit-for-purpose facilities from which to serve the local community.
As we gave thanks for SDG’s first seven years this week, Richard Ollerhead made a poignant reflection on the reason we do what we do.
“Delivering sustainable projects on church property can be extremely difficult. We don’t do this work DESPITE how hard it is, we do it BECAUSE of how hard it is!
"And so we go where others won’t or can’t go. Unlocking church sites so they can effectively serve the mission for which they exist is not just a good idea, it’s a biblical imperative.
“We believe the projects we work on have eternal significance. So, when things are hard, we lean into the conviction that this is God’s work, and our role is to make our very best effort and trust that it’s all in His hands.
"The results speak for themselves. And ultimately, the satisfaction of seeing resources optimised and communities blessed is our absolute delight.”
Our thanks to many fantastic project partners we’ve worked with across the past seven years, we couldn’t do it without you! Nor would we want to.
Soli Deo Gloria.
