The Journey of First Time Planters: The Billabong Uniting
Cameron and Anneliis Harries first considered planting a church when their Senior Pastor, Luke Williams, suggested the idea. It was during COVID in 2020, and Luke had been on retreat, praying about the future of The Billabong Uniting Church in Canning Vale, Perth. He sensed God leading the church to plant a new campus, and that Cameron and Anneliis were the couple to do it. So they began the journey to planting, and it’s not over yet.
When Cameron and Anneliis began to consider whether they were, in fact, the people to lead the planting of a new campus of The Billabong, they were profoundly aware that there had been no new church plants in the Uniting Church in Western Australia in twenty-three years. The most recent plant was The Billabong itself. This meant that for Cameron and Anneliis, planting could look like a very lonely prospect. Fortunately, Luke was aware of City to City and the many resources and initiatives they have on offer for people in the Harries’ situation. After a twelve month process of discussions with the broader church, the plant was approved, and Cameron and Anneliis began to participate in some of City to City’s programs.
In 2021, both Cameron and Anneliis attended the City to City Incubator CORE program. Subsequently, they joined an “Am I Called to Plant?” workshop - a course designed for pastors and teams that are considering planting. Following that, Cameron took part in the City to City Church Planting Intensive.
As they pursued God in prayer, consulted with Luke, and took part in these City to City programs, Cameron and Anneliis discerned that God is calling them to plant, and they have begun to assemble their team. It was decided that before a new campus of The Billabong could be launched, the team needed to have a core team of at least 20 members. Having plateaued at 19 members for many months, they finally secured their 20th member, and they could not be more excited!
Cameron is a teacher, and Anneliis is a full time mother to their two young daughters. As they prepare to launch the new campus of The Billabong in the coming months, they have several reflections about City to City’s contributions to their journey.
For Cameron, perhaps the greatest learning from his involvement with City to City has been the ways in which Biblical concepts of church from the New Testament are contextualised for a modern setting. He has found that profoundly helpful in leading his team to think about how to proceed with the plant. For Anneliis, it has been the network of other Church Planters that she’s met that has been of great worth to her. Being the only planters currently in the Uniting Church in WA, she had felt isolated in the calling to plant. After attending the programs with City to City, she has met people at the same stage in planting as herself and Cameron, and some who are further down the track. Making these connections has been invaluable for Anneliis.
For anyone considering exploring what City to City Australia has to offer, both Cameron and Anneliis are enthusiastically encouraging. The biblical foundations of planting, together with the networks available, are an excellent pairing and well worth it.