For the Adelaide Chin Christian Church, growth has never simply been about numbers. It has been about people, families finding belonging, children being discipled and a refugee community building a new future together.
This year, that growth has taken tangible shape.
The Adelaide-based congregation has recently completed a significant extension to its church facilities, adding 12 new Sunday School rooms and a dedicated youth worship hall. The development responds to a pressing need: a thriving children’s ministry that had long outgrown its space.
“We have roughly 400 children attending Sunday School,” Senior Pastor Cung Hnin explains. “Previously, we only had two rooms. We were using every available space, even the kitchen, as classrooms. It just wasn’t sustainable.”
What began as a vision in 2018 was delayed by COVID-19 and council processes, but in early 2026 the new facilities were finally completed. The result is a purpose-built environment that includes multiple classrooms, larger teaching spaces, and a youth hall designed to support the next generation of the church.
For a congregation that began 20 years ago in 2006 with just 49 members, the milestone is remarkable. Today, formal membership has grown to more than 1,500 people, making it the largest Baptist church in South Australia.
“We started very small,” Pastor Cung reflects. “God has been so good to us.”
The latest building project was made possible through the support Christian Finance, continuing a long-standing relationship that began with the purchase of the church’s current site a decade ago.
“As a refugee church, we don’t always understand finance,” Pastor Cung says. “But the team has always been very supportive and patient with us. That relationship has made a big difference.”
With the original loan for the church property fully repaid in 2020, this latest project marks a new chapter, one that reflects both maturity and forward planning.
Even as the new extension opens, the church is already looking ahead.
Rapid growth, now encompassing around 350 families, has placed increasing pressure on existing infrastructure, particularly parking and capacity. In response, the church has purchased a new greenfield site in Adelaide’s north, creating the opportunity for a future congregation.
“We never imagined we would need another site,” Pastor Cung says. “But we’ve outgrown our current facilities again. Church planting may be the way forward.”
While any future development will depend on planning approvals and timing, the purchase reflects a deliberate commitment: to continue making space for people seeking connection, faith and community.
The Adelaide Chin Christian Church is made up predominantly of people from the Chin state in Myanmar, many of whom arrived in Australia as refugees. Over the years, the church has become a spiritual and cultural home, supporting families as they build new lives.
Growth in recent years has been driven not only by overseas arrivals but also by internal migration, with many Chin families relocating from interstate in search of community and opportunity.
Through it all, the church’s mission has remained consistent – creating a place of belonging where faith can flourish across generations.
The new Sunday School rooms, youth hall and greenfield site are more than just buildings. They are an investment in that mission, ensuring that, as the community grows, there is always room for the next child, the next family, and the next chapter.