About Us
to service, strengthen, and support local Baptist churches, and to be their voice in the wider community Everything we do flows from that purpose.
Matt Garvin
Mission Director
Strengthening Churches to share Jesus with everyone
Currently there are about thirty churches and fellowships associated with the Baptist Union of Tasmania. Tasmanian Baptists are linked with the Baptist Union of Australia and the Baptist World Alliance.
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What We Believe
For Tasmanian Baptists’ beliefs and statements please see documents at right
Our Vision: Tasmanian Communities Transformed By Jesus, Through Healthy, Interdependent Churches
Our Values
We exist to engage Tasmania and Tasmanians with the transforming love of God, empowering them to develop their own authentic ways of following Jesus
Grace
By depending on God, forgiving others, living a life of repentance and seeking justice.
— 2 Corinthians 12:9; Matthew 23:23
Our Heritage
By recognising our history and by being agents of restoration for people and our environment.
— Psalm 78:2-4
Our State Identity
Our State identity: by giving thanks for its beauty; our islands, towns and cities; praying for our flourishing.
— Jeremiah 29:7; Matthew 6:10
Community globally and locally
By building trust and relationships and acknowledging we are better together.
— John 17:23, Philippians 2:1-4
Our Present Moment
By celebrating God and his abundant gifts, being generous and sharing the good news with others, and investing today in the leaders of tomorrow.
— John 10:10, Acts 17:25, 28; Matthew 5:13-16; James 1:17
Our Freedom
By recognising freedom of conscience and association for each other and our churches, and working to discern, share and disagree well with each other as we seek common understanding.
— John 8:36; Galatians 5:1, 13; 1 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:17
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO?
Tas Baptists exists for a simple but significant reason: to serve, strengthen, and support local Baptist churches, and to be their voice in the wider community. Everything we do flows from that purpose.
At the centre of our work is a deep conviction that healthy, connected churches are the primary way Tasmanian communities will encounter the love and hope of Jesus. Our vision is not organisational growth for its own sake but transformed communities—places where people have a genuine opportunity to respond to the good news of Jesus and to live it out in everyday life .
Our core business is expressed through five key areas. We support churches by helping them build capacity, navigate challenges, and access the resources they need. We grow leaders by investing in people at every stage of ministry, from emerging leaders to experienced pastors. We strengthen mission by equipping churches to engage their local communities with clarity and confidence. We ensure competent governance so that churches and the movement are safe, accountable, and sustainable. And we build connections, fostering trust and collaboration so that no church stands alone.
Underneath these priorities is a clear heartbeat: we are a movement, not just a structure. We believe churches are stronger together than apart. Larger churches supporting smaller ones, leaders encouraging one another, and communities learning from each other—this is what interdependence looks like in practice.
Our heart for Tasmania is that every person, in every community, would have the opportunity to see and experience the love of Jesus through a local church that is healthy, supported, and connected.
Matt Garvin
Mission Director
