People who come on to a Carey campus sometimes ask, what is Carey? At its heart, Carey is a Β Christian community with a love of God and a heart to love and serve the community around us. Β Carey is also a collection of ministries and communities, school, cafΓ©, JUMP, with a church community at its centre. All that Carey is was flows out of the life and heartbeat of the Carey Baptist Church. Carey Church started the Carey ministries and continues to be a community of followers of Jesus who are motivated by God’s love for the world to serve the community around them.

Read on to learn more about Carey’s Story.

Carey Baptist Church.
On the evening of May 31st 1995, the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church decided to plant a new church in the Canning Vale area, in cooperation with Riverton Baptist Church. Pastor Steve Izett was commissioned to plan and develop the new venture including a school to serve Canning Vale, Forrestdale and Southern River. The small group who joined the Izetts in this exciting venture had a shared sense of calling to plant the church and develop a school as a service to the community as a way of turning the church β€˜inside out’.

In September 1996 the group formally constituted as a church and in that same year, they began looking for a suitable site. After identifying the current Harrisdale site, they submitted an application to the Minister for Education for a low-interest loan for the development of the college. They were granted 90% of the cost of the land and the landowners, who were excited by the vision for the college, graciously agreed to provide them with the remaining 10%.

The name β€˜Carey’ was taken from William Carey, an individual who had profoundly inspired the group. In the 1800s, he divested himself of everything he owned in order to fulfil his calling to minister to the dispossessed in India. He faced extraordinary challenges but maintained an unshakeable faith in the transformative power of the God. He is described as the father of modern missions and preached a now famous sermon calling people to: β€œExpect Great Things from God. Attempt Great Things for God.” This statement became the College motto.

In February 1998, Carey Baptist College began with 73 year eight students and since that time has grown to over 1, 400 at the Harrisdale campus and over 300 students at the Forrestdale which started in 2016.

In 2007 Carey Jump Early Development Services (Jump) was commenced out of the continuing desire to connect with and serve the families in the surrounding community.Β  Jump started as a small service but has since grown to be a vibrant and highly rated service in the community serving over 400 hundred families with all day care and education programs, before and out of school hours care as well as a community nurse, play group and community network services.Β  The ministry of Jump flows out of a passion that the early years of a child’s life are critically important and a desire to see empowered families and thriving children who are loved and supported at home and at Jump.

In 2015, Carey opened the Carey Centre as a place for the community.Β  Jump operates from the Carey Centre but its heart is Timber CafΓ©.Β  Timber is a local meeting spot for fantastic coffee and food but more importantly great conversations and connection.Β  Carey values community and we wanted to create a safe space for the community of and around Carey to connect.Β  Timber is that space and it is a beautiful space that was made for and is usually bustling with people.

Carey Right Track Foundation was developed out of the passion and heart of Graeme Watson for our first Australians in regional communities.Β  Graeme also has a passion for athletics and has used that passion and skill to engage a team who serve with indigenous remote communities providing athletics and coaching training.Β  The work has evolved into the Carey Right Track Foundation which now also provides athletics, coaching and mentoring services into Banksia Juvenile prison.

Please take the time to read the current 2026 Carey Vision Document. We recognise that where we are and what we have been able to achieve is by God’s grace and we look to God as we continue to attempt great things for him and expect great things form him.
If you are interested in Carey Church being your home, please read through the Partnership information below and contact a pastor who would love to speak more with you.
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