About us
our vision, beliefs, history, staff & mission partnersAbout Us
MEC is a community made up of people of all ages and from all kinds of backgrounds, but with one thing in common, we want to know Jesus better and help others come to know Him as well.
When He was on earth, Jesus told us that “He came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). We are grateful that Jesus found us, washed us clean on the inside, and brought us home to God, our Father in Heaven. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we are learning to live in the love, joy, and peace that comes through knowing Jesus.
An important part of following Jesus is showing His love and sharing His truth with others in our city. We do this with gentleness and respect, knowing that we come with different backgrounds and stories. Everyone is welcome to join us at MEC to either meet Jesus for the first time, or come to know him better.
Our Beliefs
That God’s glory is the ultimate goal of our lives, our church and our world. Everything we do needs to be placed under this great goal!
That God’s word is the powerful means that God uses to accomplish his purposes. God’s Spirit takes His word and brings new birth, growth, and perseverance. As a result, we want God’s word to be at the heart of everything we do as a church.
That God’s love is the source of all peace, joy, healing and hope. The Bible tells us that the purposes of our hearts are deep water (Prov 20:5). They can be reservoirs of shame and pride; pain and anger; or greed and anxiety. An encounter with God’s love through Jesus brings peace to our restless hearts and enables us to live more fully for His glory.
That God’s call on our lives is clear and urgent. With Jesus’ death and resurrection the last days began.
Jesus could return any day to bring judgement and usher in the kingdom of God in its fullness. This brings an urgency to Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations. We want to be sacrificial, intentional, and focused as disciples of Jesus in these last days.
Our History
MEC was planted in 2002 by a small team of people led by Simon and Margie Gillham (pictured above, at a church planning dinner) with the simple mission of knowing Christ and making Him known by proclaiming the gospel.
God has grown us to almost 500 adults and kids from all kinds of backgrounds, meeting in three congregations on Sundays and in many smaller communities in homes through the week.
By God’s grace, He has given us opportunities to show his love and share His truth with many people throughout Maitland. This happens mostly through personal relationships, but also through our various community programs, such as Maitland Alive, CAP Money, and Overcomers Outreach.
We work together with other churches in Maitland (Maitland Ministers Association), the Hunter (Hunter Gospel Ministries) and throughout Australia (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) to spread the message of life, joy and peace in Jesus. We also partner with others to share God’s love and truth throughout the world.
MEC greatly appreciates the hospitality of local schools and other venues that we hire for our gatherings. At each phase of our growth, we consider afresh our facility needs for the future, always looking to God for guidance.
Our Local & Global
Mission Partners
MEC partners with a number of different individuals and organisations to see the gospel spread outside of Maitland.
Our Staff
Roger Burgess
Senior Pastor
Nick Coller
Associate Pastor
Steve Doust
Associate Pastor
Erich Serediuk
Associate Pastor / Youth
Alison Meers
Office Administration
Carolyn Burgess
Serve Co-ordinator
Lea Porter
Executive Assistant/ Bookkeeper
Sophie Smith
Ministry Intern
Claire Lyons
Graphic Designer
Sarah Cumming
MTS Apprentice
Our Administration Committee
Linda Kowalke
Treasurer
Ros Go
Secretary
Phil Cox
Peter George
Our Board of Reference
Dave Sheath
Senior Pastor,
The Lakes Church
Arthur Copeman
Senior Minister, ANEW Church
Peter Bolt
Academic Director, Sydney College of Divinity
Al Stewart
National Director, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
Andrew Mitchell
Executive Pastor,
EV Church
We’re part of something bigger
MEC belongs to a family of churches all across Australia called the FIEC, the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. With over 55+ churches in their network in almost every state and territory, FIEC’s goal is to plant new churches and grow existing churches that reach ordinary people with the extraordinary message of Jesus Christ.