Reaching Out

It was during Rev Malins' first year at MBC that a young couple with their first three children moved to Mooroolbark from England. They had first spent three months in Bentleigh, where they had some contact with the Baptist church. So when they came to settle in Mooroolbark the pastor of Bentleigh Baptist notified Geoff Malins of their arrival. Immediately he and several others from the congregation looked for ways of making them welcome. They mowed their lawn, gave them plants for their garden, invited them home for meals and even offered to babysit. An orchardist in the congregation brought around fresh fruit. It was not long before Mike and Betty  were regularly attending Mooroolbark Baptist Church. Betty remembers, "the loving kindness shown to us by the folk from Mooroolbark really made a great impression." Rev. Malins invited Betty and Mike to a Belgrave Heights Convention where Betty gave her life to the Lord Jesus. A week later Mike also responded to God's call on His life. The couple were baptised at Lilydale Baptist.

Betty recalls, "Four months after arriving in Australia to begin the new life I thought it would be, little did I know it would be so different...I wanted to live God's way. End of story? No, but a new and challenging beginning!" 

Mooroolbark Baptist has remained Mike and Betty's church home for 43 years, and countless numbers have been the recepients of their warmth and hospitality over this time. The love originally shown to them has been multiplied many times over!  

Our First Missionary

In 1960 Miss Grace Dodge was accepted to serve with the Australian Baptist Foreign Mission in East Pakistan.  

Boys' Brigade

On the 18th May 1962 Boys' Brigade commenced with Mr. D. Blair as Captain. Due to a lack of leaders it closed temporarily in 1966, but was soon up and running again. In 1977 it was recorded that 24 boys with no family connection to the church were regularly attending B.B.