Saltbush is a native Australian shrub. It’s a resilient, hardy bush sprouting life from within the dry, cracked desert soil of Broken Hill.
Saltbush is a picture of the transforming power of the gospel.
Our Story…
2011
In 2010, a small group of Christians living and working in Broken Hill began praying about whether it was God’s will for them to plant a new local church. They had a vision and desire for a church committed to faithfully teaching the Bible, sharing Jesus with the community, and serving each other as family. In early 2011, with the help of FIEC, Orange Evangelical Church and Geneva Push, Saltbush Evangelical Church was formed. The founding congregation began meeting as a home church where three volunteer overseers took turns preaching week to week and leading Bible studies.
2013
Saltbush continued to grow and new ministries emerged, especially those focused on children. At one stage Saltbush had more children than adults! With increased growth the need arose for a paid minister to be freed up to preach and lead the church full-time, so in 2013 Saltbush welcomed Matt Letcher and his family into the role of Senior Pastor. It was around this time that Saltbush began using the Centre for Community as the location for our Sunday gatherings.
2020
Like most Australian churches, 2020 was a hard year for Saltbush. COVID-19 restrictions made gathering together, singing together and sharing life together difficult. We also said goodbye to Matt and his family and began the search for a new Senior Pastor. We relied on video sermons from likeminded churches for two years while we navigated lockdowns, the instability of using public venues, being led by a team of volunteers who had their own full-time jobs and families to care for and a nation-wide search for a new Senior Pastor. But God was faithful and was still at work growing and shaping us according to his good purposes.
2023
At the start of 2023 we welcomed Brendan Hurley as our new Senior Pastor, along with his wife, Laura, and their five children. The Hurleys had spent their previous four years doing ministry in the regional city of Geraldton, WA, and were excited to see what God has in store for Broken Hill and Saltbush Church. Now that the two-year search for a Senior Pastor was finally over, Saltbush was able to once again enjoy in-person preaching from Brendan, who is committed to expository preaching, working through whole books of the Bible, section by section, as we uncover what God has to say to us through his written word. We also continue to gather together mid-week in homes to study the Bible in small groups and look forward to deepening our understanding and love for God and one another.
